The Attack of the Oncoming Dawn
by Esashar
Summary: What happens when the Copy-Ninja is forced into a corner? When his friends become his enemies? When he is made to break every vow he has sworn to honour? There can only be one answer. He fights back!
1. Poison

Chapter 1

Poison

The blood was flowing faster now, in an excited rush to leave the body that had always allowed too much of it to be spilled. And never for a good enough cause. This blood was too precious to be wasted. It seeped into the dirt. So many years it had spent sustaining its owner's life, unappreciated. Well perhaps its absence would be lamented. Even if it won't, it was too late. Thankfully, his comrades' blood was safe, in some place far from where these spiteful rivulets were flowing. But his blood was flowing faster now.

* * *

Kakashi tried to tear his mind away from the growing pool of red. It was speaking to him. Harsh, resentful words. Knowing that he had no choice he drove the kunai in deeper, trying to purge his system of the poison that – at this very moment – was telling him those now safe had not been worth saving. The bright red, which glinted in the moonlight, hurt his eyes. The battle to keep control of his mind continued, as did the relentless crimson flow.

"You should have let them die." He refused to recognise the cold, harsh voice as his own. "The mission would have been completed a lot faster, and you wouldn't have been in this mess right now."

The logic was sound. The words felt true. Indeed he knew that they had all the potency of incredible intelligence behind them. But there were two principles that Kakashi Hatake always followed. Never trust a genius. And always play the fool. He twisted the blade sharply before pulling it loose.

Grabbing a roll of bandages from his pack, Kakashi bound the wound tightly. It was located at the base of his ribcage on the left side of his body. The proximity to his lungs made breathing almost more pain than it was worth. And yet his breath was coming in short, sharp bursts now, uncontrolled.

'Damn it,' he thought, 'I've lost too much blood.'

Kakashi rose slowly, not allowing himself to accept the level of agony his wound was trying to present him with. He leant against a nearby tree as a wave of nausea tested his resolve to stay conscious to the absolute limits. Then gradually and with immense effort, he regulated his breathing and the rapid beating of his heart as it tried desperately to circulate what little blood there remained.

Treating each step as a separate but vital mission, he began to make his way slowly back to the village. At his normal pace, such a journey would have taken about four hours. But as the moon crept steadily across the sky, Kakashi realised that his normal pace was far beyond his current capabilities.

His feet moved instinctively, knowing that if they stopped he would collapse, and probably not get up again. He let his feet continue to drag him onwards, one step at a time, and allowed his mind to reflect on the mission that – although successful – might yet prove to claim his life.

* * *

"And what makes you think you're not just being paranoid?" Genma's subtly musical voice carried to where Kakashi was perched on a branch above the Tokubetsu Jonin's head.

"Or just imagining things," Asuma added sceptically, and Kakashi heard him shifting his weight restlessly from foot to foot. "I think there's a town about a half hour's walk from here. Me and Genma were going to grab a drink, and maybe find someplace to stay for the night."

"The Hokage wants that scroll immediately," Kakashi replied absently, his thoughts lost in scouring the rapidly darkening sky.

"So you take it to her then," Genma rejoined. "I never heard her say it was urgent. If she's pissed with us for wanting to relax for an evening then she can make the next mission seem a bit more pressing than playing mailman for an overfed landlord."

Kakashi's mind was racing. The chance to take the scroll and go hovered overhead like a wide open door. And that's what they wanted him to do. No one would blame him if he went now. He clenched his fists until his knuckles were white beneath his fingerless gloves.

"Actually," he began, his voice deceptively calm, "this was your and Asuma's mission in the first place. Tsunade just let me tag along because she wouldn't give me anything better."

"You mean until you've got enough chakra to handle it?" Asuma smirked derisively.

Three weeks earlier, Kakashi had returned from an S-rank mission gone wrong. Eliminating a band of supposedly five Rogue Ninja near Konoha's border had somehow turned into an all-out twenty-on-one battle. In terms of injuries Kakashi had been relatively unharmed, but he'd had to use close to all his chakra to keep it that way. A border patrol had found him unconscious in a secluded section of woods, surrounded by twenty prone forms that had all been dispatched by various means. After carrying him back to Konoha, the patrol – which Kakashi had later found out consisted of Izumo, Kotetsu, and Raido – had taken him to the Hospital where he'd been forced to stay for two weeks. Tsunade had told him he would be released on one condition – which was in fact an order – that he would not be given any missions for at least a fortnight.

Kakashi ignored Asuma's comment. His chakra was close enough to restored, Tsunade was just being stubborn. "It's your mission, and she said she wanted that scroll before tomorrow morning."

To emphasise his point Kakashi tossed the ribbon-bound document in Asuma's direction. The bearded fool caught it without looking before glaring at Kakashi defiantly.

"Whatever," Genma drawled, "Asuma's too pissed-off to be any fun tonight, let's just go." He started off in the direction of the village but Asuma made no move to follow.

"You coming Kakashi?" the Jonin called, a little louder than was strictly necessary. "Or are you going to keep bird-watching all night?"

"Actually, bird-watching does sound appealing," the Copy-Ninja answered in an effortlessly relaxed tone. "Especially considering this is the first time I've been allowed out in three weeks. But like I said, you guys better go complete the mission. I'll be along later."

"Bastard," muttered Asuma, "you expect us to deliver this back to the village while you stay out here and relax?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Kakashi's reply was even, but his heart was pounding.

"Okay then 'Kashi, hope you don't mind me letting the Fifth Hokage know you've lost your mind." Genma waved over his shoulder as he disappeared into the tree-line with Asuma in tow – the Jonin still grumbling to himself.

"Oh she already knows," was Kakashi's response as his two friends finally faded from view. They vanished into the darkness. Just like the crow had vanished mid-flight, not dropped out of the sky, just vanished.

Kakashi had immediately guessed that it was someone's poor attempt at a genjutsu. He'd sent out a spike of his chakra, as many shinobi would do automatically upon sensing a threat. Although, in this case, Kakashi had used it to warn whoever was out there that their stunt had been detected. And luckily the jutsu had been lifted before it had fully formed.

Suddenly though, Kakashi had realised that the sloppiness of the attempted genjutsu may not have been as unintentional as it had first appeared. It could have been just as much of a warning to him as Kakashi's response had been to the caster. And there was only one genjutsu user Kakashi knew who favoured the manipulation of crows.

He hadn't shared his thoughts with the others, but they knew he'd seen something strange when he'd jumped into the tree to have a clearer view of the sky above. And they'd just rolled their eyes when he said he'd seen a bird appear and disappear out of nowhere. With his suspicion firmly planted in his mind Kakashi's task had then become getting rid of the other two. If his guess proved accurate then the initial genjutsu had been cast with the knowledge that – out of the three of them – only Kakashi would have been able to detect it. Whoever it was – and Kakashi felt he had a pretty clear idea – they wanted to meet him one on one. And if that condition wasn't met, Kakashi was fairly sure Genma and Asuma would have been taken out of the equation quicker than he could have prevented it. And if he'd returned to the village alone he would have left his comrades unprotected, and he couldn't risk leaving them behind in the presence of so great a threat.

So now all he could do was wait, and hope that by the time this was over his friends would have returned to the village safely. He didn't have to wait long. The lengthening shadow of the tree on which he stood slowly began to solidify. It rose in the form of a cloaked figure. Kakashi jumped down from the tree to face the scourge of the Uchiha Clan.

"Good evening Itachi. Long time no see." Kakashi's hands were tucked firmly into his pockets, his expression decidedly vacant. Of course they both knew that his left hand was clasped tightly around a kunai, and that chakra was already being channelled into his right, ready to be given a change of form and elemental composition.

"Long time indeed, Kakashi. I'll get straight to the point. I've been sent here because the Akatsuki want to use you in a test. You should be honoured."

"A test, eh? Well I've never really been into exams. I assume it's nothing I'm going to go along with willingly."

"You could. It will mean less pain for you in the long-run. But then again, if you try and fight the process your death will be beneficial to our cause as well."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. He hated these cryptic, smug bastards. Exposing his Sharingan and shifting his weight to the balls of his feet the Copy-Ninja readied himself for battle. He no longer cared what Itachi's intentions were. They had his death as a possible outcome, beyond that, he wasn't bothered to hear the full story.

Itachi wasted no time either, launching a frontal assault with a kunai in hand. Kakashi parried the attack, but allowed his kunai to be forced from his grip as Itachi twisted his own blade. Knowing the move that the Uchiha was about to make, Kakashi's electrically charged, bright blue chakra began collecting in his right palm. With his left hand – which was now free of the kunai – he held Itachi's wrist in a vice-like grip, even as the Uchiha's blade slid neatly into his side. Swiftly Kakashi thrust forward with his Raikiri and Itachi exploded into a dozen crows.

As the birds gained height, Kakashi could hear Itachi's voice lingering somewhere on the wind. "I've completed my task. If we've mixed the components correctly, the poison I've introduced into your system will drive you to kill those that you hold most dear. Fortunately for us, that includes some of the stronger Konoha Ninja, and perhaps even the Hokage, and the Nine-tails Jinchuriki. If we haven't mixed them correctly, I suppose it's back to the drawing board, but it's likely you'll die either way. The poison will kill you once it's run its course, we've spared you from having to live with the guilt of killing those that you love." There was an undercurrent to Itachi's voice that Kakashi couldn't quite make out.

"How considerate," Kakashi's retort was spoken through clenched teeth. Itachi, or rather his crows, had already disappeared. And so the Copy-Ninja lifted his kunai from the ground and, as usual, prepared to carry out the action that seemed least likely to result in his comrades' deaths. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind a voice was already trying to tell him that it wouldn't be worth the bother. With malice Kakashi drove the kunai in and allowed his blood to flow freely. It was a desperate act but after that Raikiri he had little chakra left to aid him – he hated to admit it, but Tsunade's assessment was seeming more accurate by the second. However, of one thing Kakashi was absolutely certain: no comrades of his were going to die today. Not if he could help it.

* * *

"You did WHAT?" The sheer volume of Tsunade's voice was enough to make Asuma and Genma take a step backwards. So when she abruptly rose from her seat, fists clenched and knuckles white, it was all they could do not to make a run for it.

But the two shinobi were made of sterner stuff than that, so they returned her furious gaze with defiant ones of their own.

"How could you just leave him there?" Tsunade's thoughts went to Kakashi. Sure it hadn't been a complicated mission, and it wasn't altogether far from the village, but she knew that the brat didn't have enough chakra right now to handle anything major. But maybe the two were right; they'd said he just wanted some fresh air. Maybe she was overreacting. It was just that the winning lottery ticket, which lay crumpled in her waste-paper basket, begged to differ. She sighed and slowly sat back down.

When Asuma spoke he sounded uncharacteristically agitated. "It's simple. The kid said he wanted to relax for a while and seeing as it was never really his mission we thought we'd just head back. It was you who wanted the scroll so damn badly."

The Hokage shrugged. "Not really. It's just some landlord asking to expand his property and we're the only neighbours he thinks care enough to mind."

Asuma and Genma exchanged confused glances before Genma spoke. "Kakashi definitely said it was urgent. Otherwise why would he've wanted us to get back so soon?"

It was a good question. Tsunade pondered the various options. There was the possibility that Kakashi had simply wanted to get rid of the others so that he could have some time to relax. Maybe he'd even brought one of Jiraiya's perverted novels along. But it was out of character for the brat to lie about Hokage's orders. Surely there was a better reason than wanting to enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted lechery. But then again, he did seem capable of doing just about anything if it meant some quality time with his favourite reading material. No, something just didn't seem right with having that as the reason.

She finally responded. "You said he saw something unusual. Tell me."

"Well I didn't see anything," Genma began, "but Kakashi thought he saw a bird flying and then it just disappeared. But I never saw it in the first place; me and Asuma reckon he imagined it. Right Asuma?"

"Actually," the Jonin replied slowly, "the more I think about it the more I feel Kakashi just wouldn't make a mistake like that – I mean thinking he saw something when there wasn't anything there."

Genma frowned for a moment. "We're all human Asuma, even Kakashi. He can make mistakes too you know. Though he did seem pretty certain…"

Tsunade listened to the exchange with her elbows perched on the desk, her chin resting on her steepled fingertips.

"Did he say what type of bird it was?" She wasn't sure what the relevance of this might be, if indeed there was any, but she felt compelled to find out all she could. It wasn't every day that Kakashi Hatake sent his comrades back to the village on false pretences.

"I'm not sure," responded Asuma.

Tsunade was certain there was something he was withholding.

Genma soon confirmed her suspicions. "You mean you were too busy thinking about the nearest bar, Asuma?"

The bearded Jonin's eyes were fixed on the floor with seeming fascination, and Tsunade could have sworn she saw his cheeks redden slightly. Genma continued.

"I think Kakashi said something about it being a raven – or a crow. Yeah actually I'm pretty sure he said crow."

This somewhat sketchy report didn't exactly inspire Tsunade with confidence but she had nothing else to go on. So she took Genma's word for it and tried to work out what Kakashi's line of thinking might have been. A bird disappearing mid-flight; assuming it wasn't simply the kid's imagination there was only one other way the senses could be thus manipulated. Genjutsu.

"Had either of you considered the possibility of it being a genjutsu?" she asked after a pause.

The two ninja's eyes widened. That was enough to inform Tsunade that they hadn't thought of this at the time, and by the looks on their faces they were starting to think that Kakashi had. A vanishing crow, but why? Tsunade felt she was missing something important.

She thought hard about every genjutsu wielder outside of the Land of Fire strong enough that Kakashi knew his friends would not be safe – and that he would not be able to protect them. She didn't have to think for long. Her face paled and for a moment she held her head in her hands. Then she met the eyes of two of Kakashi's most loyal comrades, knowing she was about to utter a word that would make their blood freeze.

"Itachi."


	2. Urgency

Chapter 2

Urgency

The moon was sinking slowly and the eastern sky held a faint red tinge. Silhouetted against the misty backdrop of Konoha's forests, a solitary figure was approaching the village. His face was obscured by darkness and his feet faltered over unseen obstacles. One hand was pressed hard against his side, while the other gripped a kunai whose red surface reflected the pale light of the rising dawn. He staggered on, until his kunai slipped from his grasp and he fell to his knees in front of the great wooden gates. For a moment he was still, save for the slow rise and fall of his shoulders. Then he stowed his kunai and rose once more, pushing the gates apart and stumbling into the village. Finally, he was home.

* * *

Kakashi was not surprised to see Izumo and Kotetsu fast asleep on gate duty. They'd probably been there all night. Seeing the two of them sleeping peacefully – Kotetsu's head resting lightly on Izumo's shoulder – made Kakashi smile to himself. A moment later however, he was harshly reminded of his plight as the thought of them coming to his aid weeks before filled him with inescapable contempt. The Copy-Ninja pressed his fingers against his wound until the pain was enough to block out all other thoughts. He then began to make his way home, before his killing intent could become palpable enough to wake the two ninja.

The number of stairs to his apartment seemed to have tripled since the last time he'd climbed them, but eventually Kakashi stood outside his door. He then cursed himself for having set so many traps responsive only to his chakra. He would not be able to enter without disarming them and he'd made sure it was impossible to break through them any other way – not that he would have been able to in his current state. And so the Jonin summoned what was left of his chakra and deactivated each trap before stumbling in through the now open door.

As his legs threatened to stop supporting him, Kakashi became tempted to collapse onto his bed. But the Copy-Ninja still had things to do – including the increasingly demanding task of staying conscious. So he walked over to his desk and sat down heavily before grabbing a scroll and brush from one of the drawers.

After finishing his first message, he rolled up the scroll and printed the addressee's name clearly on the front. He then began the second one – meant for his Ninja Hound and loyal friend Pakkun. It explained what to do with the first scroll, and to make sure that the instructions it detailed were followed to the letter. Because he knew that the recipient was not going to like what it said. Lastly, the message apologised to Pakkun for not being able to greet him personally.

He placed the second letter open beside the first and moved to sit on the edge of his bed. Kakashi looked down at his hands; they were covered in blood, meaning that he wouldn't have to lose any more in order to perform the summoning jutsu. He made the appropriate signs before slamming one of his bloodied palms onto the seat of the chair in front of him. Kakashi heard a faint 'poof,' as Pakkun materialised into the room. Then finally, consciousness left him.

* * *

Itachi paced the floor of the Akatsuki's lair, waiting for his Brothers to arrive. And gradually, each of the Akatsuki members – or rather their chakra-fuelled projections – began to appear. The Uchiha turned to the Leader, who'd been the last to arrive, and said softly, "I thought you would have been more eager to know the result of our endeavour."

Pain's reply was softer still. "Why? Was it not assured that you would succeed, or should I have chosen someone else to carry out the task?"

"Who you choose is entirely up to you, Leader," responded Itachi in an icy tone. "But as it happens I have not failed you. All that remains now is for the Hokage to administer him the antidote that will bring our plan into its second phase."

Deidara laughed from the shadows. He floated a few feet above the ground and Itachi assumed that, in reality, he was sitting atop one of his 'artistic' clay monstrosities. The blonde's smug voice cut through the growing tension. "I guess we should all be grateful to Sasori for coming up with the recipe. It's a shame he had to go and get himself killed, but he's provided us with quite the time-saving opportunity."

"That he has, Brother," said Kisame, baring his teeth in what Itachi had grown to accept as a grin from the blue-skinned behemoth. "It's just too bad it's taken so long to get it right." His tone was rueful and Itachi knew his partner was secretly chiding Kakuzu, who had been put in charge of mixing the poison after the death of Sasori six months previous. "If the Hatake takes care of the Jinchuriki," Kisame continued, "it will save us a lot of time and effort. Especially since the Copy-Ninja presented quite an obstacle the last time we went after the Nine-tails kid."

Deidara made an undignified noise of protest; Kisame had reminded them all of how he'd fallen into Kakashi's Mangekyo trap that time. The young artist seemed about to defend himself but Hidan interrupted.

"So what's the actual plan?" he intoned impatiently. "Some of us weren't privy to all the details."

The Leader rolled his eyes before replying, "The plan, Hidan, is to wait. The Copy-Ninja knows that the only cure for a poison affecting the Chakra Network is the blood of the one used to make it."

"What? But you said it was a neural poison!" Tobi's shock and confusion sounded almost falsely exaggerated to Itachi's ears, and he couldn't help smirking to himself at that thought.

"Tobi," the Leader said in a vaguely irritated tone, "why must I always explain things twice? The reason Itachi's blood was mixed in with the poison is that the Sharingan-bearing Hatake can obviously handle the Uchiha's superior genetic material. At the moment the poison is only neural, and your Brother's blood lies dormant. But once the Copy-Ninja has been given the antidote, the next stage of our plan will commence."

Tobi responded to this explanation with a high-pitched laugh that made him sound like an overenthusiastic child.

"Heheheh… I'm excited already!"

* * *

With a mixture of disbelief and fury, Tsunade looked from the scroll in her hands to the pug glowering on her desk. Pakkun was the first to break the silence that had begun when Tsunade had first unrolled the bloodstained document.

His gruff voice held a distinctly demanding undercurrent. "It will be easier for me to make sure you do exactly as Kakashi said if you let me read the note."

The Hokage gave him a perfunctory glare, before grudgingly turning the scroll around so that Pakkun could read it. Moments later, she heard the mutt stifle a yelp and knew that if fur could pale his would've been white by now. But the Nin-dog soon regained his composure and levelled Tsunade an intense stare.

"I'm not going to pretend to understand what the hell the brat was thinking," he stated gravely, "but it'll be in our best interests to listen to him."

Tsunade clenched her fists before sitting a little straighter in her chair. "Shizune!" she called to her aide who had quite clearly been hanging on every word of the exchange. "Dispatch the nearest ANBU medical squad to Kakashi's apartment. And…" her voice nearly faltered, "bring me Danzo."

"Right away Hokage!" Shizune responded, even as she ran full tilt from the room.

Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment before preparing to read Kakashi's letter once more. Maybe this time it would make some sense to her.

_Tsunade._

_I have returned safely to the village but a complication has arisen. Please do exactly as I tell you, I can explain later. At the Root headquarters there are interrogation rooms with facilities for physically and mentally restraining prisoners. I must be placed in one of these immediately and all measures must be taken to ensure that I can't escape. I'm sure Danzo will be more than happy to oblige. I assume you already have some idea of what's going on, and thus know that a great threat has found its way into the village. You need to do this quickly. I am in my apartment, as Pakkun will have told you. When I regain consciousness make sure that there's no one around whose identity is known to me, including and especially yourself. Also, tell Genma and Asuma not to worry but to stay the hell out of this if they value their lives. And I don't care if they don't, tell them it's an order._

_Kakashi_

What on Earth had the brat gotten himself into this time? Itachi was involved, that much she was now sure of. And Pakkun had told her that the kid had lost a dangerous, potentially fatal amount of blood. The medics had been sent to stabilise his condition; Danzo would have to do the rest. Although, every fibre of her being protested against the thought of putting her top Jonin's life in the hands of that callous, sadistic fool.

"Danzo I swear," she muttered menacingly to herself, "if one hair on that boy's head is harmed you will be dealing with me."

"I heard my name, Princess Tsunade. I assume that means I can enter."

The Hokage looked up. She'd been so caught up in worrying about Kakashi that she hadn't even noticed the bandaged Elder walk in. But she didn't allow her surprise to show as she addressed the man firmly. "I need you to do something Danzo. It's urgent." The next words Tsunade spoke were through clenched teeth. "Kakashi Hatake needs to be… confined in one of Root's interrogation cells and fully prevented from escape. But I swear to the Gods Danzo, if you hurt him –"

"Well if he's become a threat to the village why shouldn't I? Or is that not the situation?" Danzo's face betrayed no emotion but Tsunade could read the satisfaction in his voice. He thought that the infallible Copy-Ninja had suffered one mission too many and gone rogue.

Tsunade's voice cut through the air like a shard of ice. "I hate to disappoint you Danzo, but this was Kakashi's idea not mine. I don't yet know the full details of the situation, but I do know that it is in the best interests of the village for you to carry out these orders. I didn't call you here to argue. I called you because I had no choice."

Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Kakashi had better be more exact when he explains the situation. Otherwise –"

"Otherwise nothing!" Tsunade slammed one fist down on the surface of her desk, causing Pakkun to jump up in surprise. "I won't warn you again Danzo, that man is under my protection."

The old man simply stared at her, as he promptly responded, "As long as the Hatake remains in Root captivity he will be treated as any other prisoner. I will gather a cell to collect him immediately. And if you have knowingly allowed a threat into the village then, as Hokage, you will be held fully accountable." With that Danzo left, the sharp tap of his cane echoing in his wake.

Tsunade was about to rise but Pakkun placed a paw on her hand. He met her gaze, and the loyalty and devotion to his master that the Hokage saw in his eyes almost moved her to tears. "Kakashi knows what he's doing, Tsunade. The kid always does."

The Sannin gradually sighed. "You're right Pakkun. I just wish he didn't have to kill himself each time he proves it."

The dog nodded sagely before vanishing back to wherever it was Kakashi kept his Ninken.

This left Tsunade alone, pondering what to do next. With a sigh she decided to go and explain the situation to Genma and Asuma. As soon as they'd heard the word 'Itachi' they had practically sprinted from the room in order to try and retrieve their comrade. This of course had been without caring that if Kakashi had wanted their help he would have asked for it. And in the end, Tsunade had been forced to assign a three-man ANBU squad to guard the two ninja and she'd left them sitting sullenly in the hallway waiting for news.

And so with her hatred of Danzo coursing through her veins and Kakashi's enigmatic letter still echoing in her mind, Tsunade left the office. She now had to somehow persuade Kakashi's friends that, under no circumstances, would it be useful to try and help their stricken comrade. Yeah right! She'd have better luck convincing them that Tonton could fly.

* * *

The sun had now set on the final day of what had to be Yamato's most tedious mission ever. The rest of Team Seven was fast asleep at the base of one the many trees encircling Konoha's border. They were only about a four hour run from the village but Yamato knew that if he made Naruto and Sakura travel all night he'd regret it, in the form of an unendurable headache. So far, only Sai had yet to show a side of himself that was anything other than mature and collected. Unlike the others, he hadn't complained once when they'd been assigned a mission to escort a Feudal Dignitary of the Land of Earth back to Iwagakure. And finally, nearly a month later, they were returning home. Meanwhile, Yamato was almost certain that Kakashi had accepted an S-rank mission on the same day just to avoid this seemingly endless excursion.

This close to home, Yamato – as he'd come to think of himself whenever he wasn't in ANBU uniform – was sure that they weren't going to run into trouble. But it was shinobi protocol to coordinate a watch system on missions, and Yamato always followed the rules – well, almost always. As the hours stretched on, night began to give way to dawn's first light. And it was then that Yamato noticed something – barely a meter away – that he'd missed in the darkness.

It was a patch of bloodstained earth adorning the leaf-strewn forest floor. Only a day or so old by the looks of it. Then, filled with inexplicable trepidation, Yamato crossed over to where the bright red showed in stark contrast to the dusky brown earth. There were no signs of a battle, or of a wounded woodland creature. But this close to the pool of drying blood, Yamato could smell it faintly. As an ANBU his senses had been honed to the absolute limits, and so when he found himself recognising the smell, he was confused to say the least. Then, not knowing what prompted him to do so, the Team Captain dragged his finger through the reddened earth and brought it to his mouth.

Even so many hours after it had been spilled, the blood's taste was fresh and strong. It was rich and coppery, with a vaguely sweet aftertaste – more noble than anything pumped through the veins of a hapless forest scavenger. And as the taste filled his senses, Yamato became sure that he had encountered this blood many times before. Images of his most intense battles filled the ANBU's mind. In each of the darkest, most brutal moments, there had always been one person to step up. To sacrifice his own blood in the place of all theirs. Yes, he had encountered this blood many times before – the countless times that his life had been saved by the same man. In his mind he saw the gloved hand reaching out, pulling him to his feet. He saw the ninja sheathe the bloody katana that he had used to dispatch their enemies almost single-handed. He saw the expression of steely resolve, contrasting with the heartfelt concern that lay hidden below the surface of the ex-ANBU's mismatched gaze. He saw his Senpai.

With images of Kakashi filling Yamato's mind, he managed to shake himself from his reverie. Spurred into action and with a mounting feeling of dread he ran over to where the rest of his team were soundly sleeping. "Wake up all of you!" he called, already turning to go. "Grab your things we're leaving now!"

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Sakura and Sai unquestioningly did as they were told, but Naruto sat up on his bedroll, his arms resolutely folded across his chest. "What about breakfast Captain Yamato? What's going on!"

Yamato knew that his blunt answer would get the kid moving. And so he turned to Naruto, unable to mask the fear in his voice.

"Kakashi-Sensei's been hurt."


	3. Pain

Chapter 3

Pain

The silence was deafening. No thought could penetrate it, and physical escape was impossible. It had stretched on for hours, maybe days. Steadily it started to become unbearable and the threat of insanity loomed ever closer. It was tempting to accept that fate; to have something certain here in the void between this world and the next. But no silence lasts forever. The transition was sudden but the shock was disembodied. Emptiness was replaced by a heart-stopping scream of absolute agony. And only after realising that this sound had been torn from his own throat, did he long for the silence to claim him once more.

* * *

Yamato held his breath, waiting for Tsunade's reaction to his report. He was still unsure of Kakashi's whereabouts but assumed that if the Copy-Ninja hadn't managed to return to the village, Tsunade would have said something by now. The Hokage was bent over a microscope and had listened to his rambled account without saying a word. Finally she raised her head.

"Well what on Earth did you do that for?" Incredulity coloured her every word.

Yamato cringed. "I'm not sure, I just needed to know why the blood seemed so familiar."

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. "And you didn't taste any poison?"

"He's been poisoned? Oh shit…" Seriously, could his Senpai never catch a break?

"Just wait there; when I come back I'll take a blood sample and see if you've been infected with the same compound as Kakashi." Tsunade prepared to leave but Yamato wanted a proper explanation.

"So what actually happened?" He was trying to keep the demanding edge out of his tone, but by the way that the Hokage arched her eyebrows at this question he knew he'd failed. Nevertheless, Yamato continued. "Judging by the amount of blood I saw, I assumed Kakashi-Senpai had been seriously wounded."

Tsunade sighed. "He has, but I'm starting to suspect that it wasn't all down to Itachi, I think the brat wanted to get the poison out of his system."

Yamato had stopped listening at the word 'Itachi'. Without even realising it, he had sunk into the chair that was positioned opposite Lady Tsunade's worktop. The Hokage left without a second glance and he assumed that she had gone to administer Kakashi the antidote she'd been preparing. While in the meantime, Yamato was left with his mind going a mile a minute, trying to understand what had actually happened. Although, at this point, the ANBU wasn't even sure he wanted to know the full details.

* * *

Sakura walked through Konoha Village, flanked by her two team-mates. Their destination was clear in their minds: Konoha Hospital. Captain Yamato had gone straight to deliver his report to Lady Tsunade. But the three of them had decided that, if Kakashi-Sensei had been hurt, there was only one place to find him – although probably not by his own volition.

Sakura paused outside the large glass doors. And seeming to sense her discomfort, Naruto went in first, then Sai, and lastly the kunoichi herself. An elderly nurse smiled at the three of them from across the reception desk; she then addressed Sakura who had finally stepped forward.

"What can I do for you, my dear? Here to visit someone?"

"Um… sort of," was Sakura's timid response. After all, how could she be sure that Kakashi-Sensei was even here? "We think our Sensei might be in your care at the moment. Kakashi Hatake, is he here?"

The old lady smiled, a look of nostalgia washing over her face. "Ah yes, Kakashi Hatake, the infamous Copy-Ninja. Years ago he saved the life of my dear son. Stories of his bravery are often discussed in our home. You know, just a few weeks ago – with no regard for his own safety – he single-handedly saved the village from the threat of over twenty rogue ninja!"

"That sounds like our Sensei all right!" Naruto beamed, his voice bursting with pride.

"Keep it down idiot, this is a hospital!" Sakura managed to rival Naruto in volume as she chided her team-mate. Her voice then took on an edge of concern as she turned back to the receptionist. "But you said that was weeks ago, shouldn't he have been released by now?"

"Oh he has been," she replied in a motherly tone, "the poor dear was brought in with next to no chakra and stayed here for a fortnight. Then Lady Tsunade released him with strict instructions not to push himself too far too soon."

Even Sai joined in with the collective sigh of relief at that statement. But Sakura was sure that something wasn't quite right. Captain Yamato hadn't told them how he'd known Kakashi-Sensei had been injured, in fact he hadn't said a word the whole journey back. But they'd all thought his urgency meant that the incident had taken place more recently.

Sakura's train of thought was broken by Sai's calm, emotionless voice. "It would be convenient to believe that everything's fine, however it is likely that Captain Yamato was referring to an injury other than chakra drain. And probably something that has happened more recently. In which case, Kakashi-Sensei has chosen not to come here, so he must be –"

"In his apartment!" finished Naruto. "Let's go!"

Sakura thanked the receptionist for her help, before running after Naruto who had already hurtled from the building. The team was now headed for Kakashi-Sensei's apartment. Although Sakura couldn't help but fear what they might find.

* * *

As he awoke, Kakashi saw the corner of Danzo's mouth twitch and knew that the Elder was suppressing a smirk. He wouldn't give that sadistic bastard the satisfaction of hearing him scream ever again. But where had that excruciating pain come from? Kakashi could no longer feel his wound and he was sure that Tsunade's ANBU medics were to thank for that. He doubted such care would have been taken by a similar team of Root Operatives. Danzo liked to keep his captives weak and obedient. Which explained why Kakashi was experiencing an agonising sensation that seemed to originate from the very depths of his being. He now recognised it as a Yamanaka Clan Jutsu. It was called Mind-Scrape.

The Copy-Ninja had just begun weighing up his chances of staying conscious, when a second heart-stopping wave of pain hit him. Kakashi glared at the Root member standing in front of him, whose hands were flashing through a series of complicated signs. This was the fastest, most efficient way of getting information out of someone. The caster of the jutsu forces their way into the target's mind and claws through their memories until sufficient information has been gathered.

Kakashi's fierce stare shifted to Danzo, and his sarcastic words were punctured by his laboured breathing. "You know, Danzo… if you'd said please… I would've told you… what you wanted."

The old man seemed about to respond – either verbally or physically – but he didn't get a chance as his Yamanaka subordinate promptly collapsed. This time it was Kakashi's turn to smirk; no one who walked into the minefield that was his psyche ever made it out unscathed. The Copy-Ninja had joined forces with the original Ino-Shika-Cho trio on several occasions. And because of this, there were very few mind techniques that Kakashi was not familiar with, and even fewer that he could not repel. He'd only put himself into this position to keep his comrades safe, that did not mean he had any intention of being an acquiescent guest.

"How pathetic," stated Danzo as he eyed his fallen Operative with disdain. He then stepped around the Yamanaka's prone form and placed the palm of his hand hard against Kakashi's forehead. Those skilled enough in Genjutsu could produce their own version of the Yamanaka's Mind-Scrape. It couldn't probe as deep, and required much more chakra, but it caused the one targeted an equal amount of pain.

After barely managing to prevent the first invasion of his mind, Kakashi had no energy left to defend against Danzo's mental assault. His vision blurred and sound became distorted. In fact the only sense that was still fully functioning was the one telling Kakashi just how much pain he was currently in. He didn't even try to resist. And although, admittedly, he was impressed that Danzo could perform this jutsu at all, the Elder would still not be able to access any memories that were more than a few days old.

When the autocratic shinobi stepped back, the half of his face not swathed in bandages was covered with sweat, but there was a look of triumph in his one visible eye. "You really are your father's son," said Danzo, his voice cold. "He was also a worthless fool who cared more about his friends than the wellbeing of his village."

Kakashi tried to respond, but the intense agony remaining from both jutsu used on him prevented the words from forming. His desire to murder the heartless, senseless old man had nothing to do with the residual poison in his system. But Kakashi's body had still not recovered from the severity of his blood loss. For the moment, he was thoroughly incapacitated, meaning that his comrades were a whole lot safer. However it also meant that all Kakashi could do was glare at the Root Leader while he continued to goad him with carefully concealed glee.

"As soon as you became a potential threat to this village, it was your duty – as a Konoha Shinobi – to take your own life. And yet you had the audacity to return, even though you are now a danger to all those whom you've been sworn to protect."

Kakashi smirked again at this comment. Right now he was chained to the wall of Root's interrogation cell, barely conscious, and unable to even verbally refute the accusations against him. The Copy-Ninja had ensured that he was a danger to no one. There had been no need for him to resist the Yamanaka's Mind-Scrape but he'd wanted to expend the small amount of chakra that had already managed to restore itself. Kakashi had to be as weak as he could conceivably make himself. Because he knew what Danzo would do as soon as the bastard found out what had happened to him. And Kakashi didn't have to wait long for his suspicions to be confirmed.

"Now Hatake," spoke Danzo ominously, "all that is left is to test the extent of the poison's hold over you."

* * *

Genma's sleep was fitful and his dreams sinister. Again and again the same nightmare repeated. He was drowning in a river of blood, unable to move or even breathe. Kakashi was floating next to him, unconscious. And when the Tokubetsu Jonin looked up, he was met by the childlike face of Itachi Uchiha – as he had last seen him. But those red eyes were far from innocent. The Uchiha held a katana in one hand, but instead of striking Genma, he handed the blade to Kakashi. Immediately, consciousness returned to the Copy-Ninja but Genma no longer recognised him as the friend he'd once known. Kakashi's eyes were filled with hatred and when he struck, he struck to kill. Suddenly the blood became Genma's – his surroundings darkened and hope began to fade…

"Genma Shiranui?" a blunt, authoritative voice penetrated his nightmare.

Slowly the Tokubetsu Jonin managed to rouse himself. "Who is it?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.

After a moment's silence, there was a sharp tap at the wooden door; followed by an equally sharp and equally wooden voice. "Is this the residence of Genma Shiranui?"

"Oh for Gods' sakes!" Genma hauled himself from his bed and stormed to the door. Wrenching it open, he was greeted by the sight of four masked shinobi in black cloaks. "What're you doing here?" he demanded, too tired for courtesy.

The four ninja seemed unfazed by his rude greeting. "We are here to escort you to our headquarters to meet with Kakashi Hatake."

Genma's eyes narrowed. Tsunade had made it pretty clear that Kakashi wanted to keep him as far away as possible. Although he still had no idea why, apart from that it was obvious Itachi had done something to Kakashi, something serious enough to frighten the normally fearless Jonin. And Genma had learned over the years that the instructions Kakashi gave out of fear for his comrades were the ones that should always be followed. But the fact that Danzo had sent four armed Operatives to collect him severely limited the say that he had in the matter.

Still, Genma kept his expression deeply uninterested, save for the slight raise of one eyebrow as he responded, "Am I allowed to get dressed first, or did that creep specifically want me in my pyjamas?"

The Tokubetsu Jonin took a small amount satisfaction in the clenching of more than a few of the Operatives' fists. They then stepped forward and guided him, none too gently, from the room.

"I guess that answers that question," Genma stated, his voice deadpan. It was easy to act aloof while still in the safety of his apartment block. But each step they took brought Genma closer to the place he'd been expressly forbidden from entering. Now all he could do was hope that Kakashi had been overreacting. But seeing as that had never happened before, the odds were certainly not in his favour.

* * *

Kakashi had no recollection of having lost consciousness, but when his body came crashing to the ground it was more than enough to wake him. He had been released from his chains, and with mounting horror the Copy-Ninja realised what was to come.

Kakashi raised his head slowly and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that – for the moment – he was still alone. He dragged himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the cell wall. And then, on some unspoken cue, the door clanged open.

Genma stood on the threshold, his face a mask of fear and confusion. Then, as if pushed from behind, the ninja stumbled into the room. The door immediately shut behind him. The Tokubetsu Jonin's eyes widened as he took in Kakashi's appearance. Not that the Copy-Ninja could blame him. After all, he was currently propped against the wall of his Root cell, clearly unable to stand on his own, and was still covered in blood from his now healed injury. In fact, the Jonin was surprised that Genma was still managing to keep the majority of the panic evident on his face from entering his tone.

But still, the man's voice was tight. "Shit Kakashi, what happened?"

But Kakashi couldn't answer. The hatred seething within him was about to become overpowering. His control was slipping away.

"Genma… you have to… get out of here… NOW!" he urged with all that was left of his diminishing humanity.

But it was too late and they both knew it. There was no way out. His uncontrollable rage brought Kakashi the energy he lacked, although luckily it could not restore his chakra. But even without the possibility of performing jutsu, thousands of ways to kill his comrade were invading the Jonin's mind. And when his body finally moved Kakashi couldn't stop it. Genma let out a cry of shock, even as the Copy-Ninja's fingers closed around his neck.

Simple yet effective, that was the poison's suggestion. A voice in Kakashi's mind was urging him to choke the life out of his struggling friend, and that was precisely what he intended to do.

Eventually Genma's body went slack in the Copy-Ninja's iron grasp. He knew that maintaining the stranglehold for just a few more moments would kill the shinobi. So why was his grip loosening? He was sure this man was an enemy, but somewhere in the back of his mind a voice was protesting. Kakashi had forgotten, or perhaps never even knew, why he'd attacked the man in the first place. However he didn't get a chance to come to a conclusion. Because at that very moment, a sudden intense pressure erupted at the juncture precisely between his skull and spine. Kakashi knew that targeting such a point meant an instant blackout, and so he accepted his fate even as he fell to the ground beside the limp body of his one-time friend.

He heard one final sound before the darkness claimed him. An emotionless voice saying, "I see… how interesting."

* * *

Tsunade was walking briskly in the direction of the Root HQ, one of her hands contained the antidote and the other was clenched into a fist, ready to strike if she found out that her Jonin had been mistreated. By all rights he should still have been unconscious; only a day after loosing so much blood and expending his barely recovered chakra reserves. But Tsunade had a gnawing suspicion that this might not be the case. She ignored the sounds of protest from the Operatives on guard duty and tried to remember where the interrogation cells were. It had been so many years since she had last come here, but just as Tsunade was giving up hope she heard a startled cry resonating up from the lower levels. And she had a sinking feeling that it had come from her intended destination.

She ran down the nearest descending set of spiral stairs. When she reached the bottom, she was met by a solid metal door, slightly ajar. The Hokage then entered the room, and what she saw nearly stopped her heart. Genma was pinned against the far wall in a stranglehold, and Kakashi was the one choking him! Tsunade was quick to put the pieces together, and the effect of the poison finally became clear.

Then in one sweeping motion, Danzo stepped forward from a corner of the room, lifted his cane and struck Kakashi with more force than someone of his age should have been able to muster. The bastard had targeted the Jonin's occipital ridge, and so Tsunade was not surprised when a moment later Kakashi collapsed onto the floor, with Genma lying unconscious beside him. Fury, shock, and horror were warring with one another inside the Hokage's head, while Danzo's cold, calculating voice sounded in the background.

"I see… how interesting."

Tsunade promptly regained her ability to speak. "What the hell is going on here?"

There was a definite smugness in Danzo's voice. "Ah Princess, you've decided to join us after all. Although, as I recall, you were not meant to come here."

Tsunade clenched her teeth. "And you weren't meant to hurt my Jonin. I guess things change."

"Indeed they do," came Danzo's impassive response. "The loyalties of Kakashi Hatake, for example."

At that point, it was all the Hokage could do not to shove that sly bastard through the wall of the building. But for now she decided to settle for simply raising her voice instead. "Cut the crap, Danzo. You know he's been poisoned. I came here to deliver the antidote. Why the hell is Genma here?"

This time, the old fool had the sense to keep his tone perfectly unemotional. "After the Hatake showed an unexpected amount of resistance to my Yamanaka's Mind-Scrape technique, I extracted the needed information from him myself. I then wanted to check its accuracy and the potency of the poison."

Tsunade was taken aback by Danzo's honesty, but that didn't even compare to her shock at him subjecting Kakashi to two such dangerous mind techniques.

She glared at him. "You sick bastard. Were you trying to kill him?"

Danzo's expression remained blank. "I needed information, that's all."

The Hokage felt her face redden in shock and anger. "How can you say that's all? You allowed two innocent ninja to get hurt in the name of your sadistic curiosity." Her voice then dropped to a venomous snarl. "I will not forget this, Danzo."

The bandaged Elder said nothing more. And after a few moments, Tsunade bent down and carefully injected the antidote she'd prepared into Kakashi's arm, saying as she did so, "I'll come back tomorrow and check if the antidote has worked. Then I'm taking him out of this Gods forsaken place." She straightened up and crossed over to where Danzo stood. Then, grabbing the collar of his robe, she lifted the man a good foot from the ground, before hissing, "And if there's one scratch on him that wasn't there before, you will be sorry Danzo. Understood?"

"Perfectly Hokage," said Danzo, his face completely expressionless save for a hint of sick satisfaction, present only in his one visible eye.

Tsunade put the bastard back down before picking up the unconscious form of Genma and making her way swiftly from the building. She dropped the Tokubetsu Jonin off at the Hospital and made sure that he wouldn't be in any pain when he awoke. The Hokage then made her way back to her office, to face yet another one of Kakashi's infuriatingly loyal companions.

Tsunade tried not to let her growing fear show as she approached Yamato, who was sitting exactly as she'd left him. He had a distant, pensive expression and Tsunade knew that in the time she'd been gone he'd analysed the situation from every possible angle, using the small amount of information he'd been given. But she also knew that any conclusion he might have come to would not have included the poison driving Kakashi to turn on those he cared about most. But right now the most important thing was to make sure that Yamato had not been infected with the same enzyme.

"Has he responded to the antidote?" Yamato's voice betrayed the fact that this was only one of thousands of questions coursing through his mind.

"I can't be completely sure until he wakes up." Tsunade responded wearily.

To her relief, Yamato accepted this explanation, meaning that she didn't have to divulge the fact that Kakashi's current state of unconsciousness had nothing to do with chakra drain or blood loss.

Tsunade took a syringe from the medicine cabinet and Yamato remained silent as she drew blood from his arm. The Hokage then squeezed a small drop of the red liquid onto a transparent slide and placed it under the microscope.

She looked up at Yamato, her brow furrowed in confusion. He misread her expression.

"So I've been poisoned too then?"

"No," the Hokage replied evenly, "it's not that. In fact your blood sample seems completely normal, there's not even a trace of the enzyme. That's what had me confused."

Yamato shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not surprised." His voice then grew bitter. "Orochimaru made sure that it would be pretty difficult for any poison to affect me."

Tsunade nodded sadly. That damned Snake would have pumped his test subjects full of every available antibody. She had always been surprised that Yamato hadn't perished like the other fifty-nine infants. But of course she was thankful for that fact, as he'd grown to become one of the village's best and longest serving ANBU. And she knew that this was more than slightly to do with the shinobi who'd trained him. And Tsunade also knew that Kakashi would've most likely wanted his ANBU protégé to receive an explanation.

"Well it's lucky you weren't infected. I've never encountered a poison like this before. The person affected becomes compelled to kill those that they love. I'm not surprised that the Akatsuki was behind something so vile."

The Hokage knew that Yamato could put the rest of the pieces together himself, including why Kakashi had chosen to be placed at Danzo's mercy instead of in the vicinity of his comrades. Tsunade barely even noticed the ANBU let himself out, as she became lost in concern for the son of her childhood friend.

Sakumo had made her promise that, if he died, she would always do her utmost to protect his beloved son. And when she'd eventually left the village, it had been with the knowledge that Kakashi was safe in Minato's hands and flourishing as a ninja. However, that promise was as near to Tsunade today as it had been over twenty years ago. And she knew that she was not worthy to be called Hokage if she couldn't even protect one man. But all she could do now was pray that the Akatsuki's plan had been thwarted. Although the Hokage had a sinking feeling that, this time, things were not going to be that simple.


	4. Progression

Chapter 4

Progression

It began slowly. Drop by infinitesimal drop the antidote started to take effect. The foreign presence of the poison was marring an otherwise perfect system. This was when normally any threat would have been eliminated by the miracle of medical ninjutsu. But something happened then that no one could have predicted; save for the members of a small insidious organisation whose plan was advancing perfectly. Steadily the antidote worked its way around the unconscious ninja's body until, drop by infinitesimal drop, all of the poison had diffused out of his bloodstream. However, it now lay elsewhere – and its true purpose was yet to be revealed.

* * *

Unlike the previous two times that Kakashi had returned to consciousness, he woke up gradually and comfortably. He was greeted by the sight of the Hokage's caring brown eyes. She smiled and – to his own surprise – Kakashi managed to smile back. He knew that the respect and loyalty he felt towards Tsunade would, yesterday, have triggered an all-conquering desire to murder the Sanin. And so when Kakashi's feelings simply stopped at respect and loyalty his smile widened, in spite of the fact that he was still chained to the wall of his Root cell.

"Can I assume this means you're not going to try and kill me?" Tsunade inquired with a smirk.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Why would I? Have you hidden my Icha Icha novels again?"

The Hokage rolled her eyes and Kakashi knew that his response had pretty much confirmed he was back to his normal self. He then watched Tsunade as she turned to Danzo, one hand outstretched. When she spoke, her voice contained an undercurrent of bitter mistrust, "Are you going to give me the key, Danzo, or would you rather I break open the shackles myself?"

Reluctantly the bandage-swathed old man handed over a small metal key. As Tsunade began undoing his chains, the Copy-Ninja's eyes met the cold gaze of Root's leader. He knew that this episode had made Danzo hate him even more, just as the rancid old misanthrope had always hated his father. Danzo and the White Fang had disagreed on every point they'd ever discussed. And Sakumo's reasoning had almost always won out. Kakashi's similarity to his father – in both appearance and ideals – had caused Danzo's intense dislike to be transferred onto him. And thus the Elder was staring at Kakashi with undisguised contempt.

However, the ferocity of Kakashi's gaze had its own reasons as well. It had been Danzo who'd told his father that taking his own life was the only way to assuage his disgrace. This was something Minato had only divulged after Kakashi'd recognised the White Fang as a true hero, thus making Danzo a villain. Even though in his heart Kakashi knew that his father's choice had been made wilfully, he could not help but hate Danzo all the more for his role in the fall of the hero that was, and always will be, the White Fang of Konoha.

The Elder was the first to avert his gaze. But Kakashi realised a moment too late that this had been due to the sudden releasing of his chains. The Copy-Ninja's body began to fall towards the rough stone floor, but Tsunade steadied him and placed one of his arms around her shoulder. No one said a word as the two slowly left the building.

Eventually Kakashi broke the silence. "Thanks, I think I'll be heading back to my apartment now," he said with a hopeful smile.

"You're not going anywhere Hatake. Not until I've made sure that bastard hasn't damaged you irreparably."

"I appreciate your concern Hokage, but it's nothing a warm shower can't cure, and perhaps a change of clothing." The imploring look in Kakashi's eyes made Tsunade raise one eyebrow sceptically.

"You have realised that you can barely walk, right?" The Hokage was using her most officious tone, but to no avail.

Kakashi gave an irreverent grin, removed his arm from around Tsunade's shoulder and formed the needed sign for a teleportation jutsu – saying as he did so, "Perhaps not, but I assume you've realised that for a ninja there are other ways to travel."

As Kakashi carried out the jutsu, Tsunade's furious cry of "Brat!" echoed after him. He arrived outside his apartment and leant heavily against the doorpost, trying hard not to regret his flashy departure. When he found the door wide open with none of his alarms reactivated he couldn't decide whether to be angry or relieved. Obviously the Root team sent to extract him had realised that their mission had been to take him out of the apartment, not to make sure that no one else could break in. But when Kakashi entered the room it became clear that others had visited since then. The furniture, which Kakashi knew he'd stained with his blood, looked freshly cleaned, and the bed he'd fallen unconscious onto had been neatly made.

The Copy-Ninja stripped off his bloodied uniform, then stretched his awareness out, trying to sense any remnants of the helpful intruders' chakra. It was not a difficult task. Sai and Sakura's chakra signatures were faint but detectable, and Naruto's chakra residue was so strong that Kakashi could practically see an orange haze hovering over the room. Obviously the boisterous whirlwind's Kagebunshin had been instrumental in the cleaning process. Kakashi smiled at his team's thoughtfulness, even as he wearily made his way to the shower. But his feeling then became one of guilt as he knew that seeing his room in such a state would have worried even Sai.

As the warm water cascaded over his aching body, Kakashi reflected on all that had happened since his encounter with Itachi. The young Uchiha had seemed unwaveringly confident in his organisation's plot. Tsunade's skill as a medic was renown even beyond the Five Countries. There was no way the Akatsuki would have thought Kakashi capable of killing all those he loved before the Hokage cured him. There had to be something else to their plan. But whatever it was, Kakashi could not deduce it right now. Perhaps a night's sleep would alleviate his splitting headache and enable him to uncover the Akatsuki's true intentions.

Kakashi stepped out of the shower, confident that he had scrubbed away all remnants of dried blood from his skin. He immediately sunk into bed too exhausted to worry about clothing. As much needed sleep began to wash over him, Kakashi thought of his comrades and of his team. He'd have to do some pretty intense training with them in order to make up for his absence. But first he'd be faced with the daunting task of telling Team 7 why they'd found his apartment in such a state. With a team like his, Kakashi wouldn't even know where to start. And how could he explain something when he himself had so many unanswered questions? Kakashi momentarily wondered why things were never simple. To keep his life exciting he supposed. The Gods sure did have a twisted sense of humour. The Copy-Ninja gave a cold smile, then drifted into a deep, curative slumber.

* * *

Yamato tried to look calm and collected as he faced his wild-eyed team. But this task was made considerably more difficult by the fact that Sakura was on the verge of tears, Naruto seemed about ready to Rasengan the bastard who had hurt his Sensei, and Sai had a haunted look in his eyes that stood out in stark contrast to his otherwise blank features.

"Okay, here's the story – or at least what I know of it," he began in an authoritative tone. However, what Yamato actually meant was: here's the story – or at least as much as the Hokage is allowing me to tell. "Kakashi-Senpai was poisoned and injured during a mission. The nature of the poison meant that he couldn't be treated in the public wards of Konoha Hospital. Lady Fifth has managed to cure him and has tended to his injuries. He should be back at his apartment by now. Any questions?"

This had been a perfunctory statement, as Yamato had no intention of answering any queries that the young shinobi might have. "Good, I thought not," he continued blankly before the others had had a chance to speak. "Oh also, the Hokage has said that Kakashi-Senpai should be able to train with you by next week, if not sooner."

The three ninja seemed satisfied by this, and together they left the room grinning with fervent relief. Yamato knew that Kakashi himself would begin training with them once more at the earliest possible opportunity, if only to have something to do. He'd be sure to pay him a visit. The ANBU needed to inform his former mentor of exactly what his team knew – or didn't know, as the case may be. But even Yamato couldn't help but be heartened by the fact that, for once, it seemed like things were looking up.

* * *

Steadily Danzo strode through the halls of Hokage Tower. He eventually arrived at his destination: the Advisors' Wing. This area of the Tower was home to two of his former team-mates who had both – like that addled old fool Hiruzen – gained positions of power much higher than his own.

When he arrived at the door to their large shared office he didn't bother to knock, and naturally the ANBU standing guard knew better than to contest his entrance. Purposefully Danzo walked into the room and stood in the centre, his arms folded, waiting for the Councillors to notice him. They looked up but did not speak, so Danzo cut straight to the chase.

"Tsunade, our supposedly virtuous leader, has once again put our village in grave danger."

He knew that such a statement would immediately grab the attention of the two notoriously unresponsive shinobi. They each held an attitude similar to his own and understood that sometimes, in order to maintain the safety of the village, sacrifice was inevitable. And now that the Akatsuki were active once more, such a time had come.

"Explain yourself, Danzo." Homura's deep voice held a slightly impatient tone, but the look in his eyes betrayed the Councillor's curiosity.

Danzo met each of their gazes in turn before responding. "The Akatsuki recently made a move against Konoha, using Kakashi Hatake as their pawn. They poisoned him with a compound that drove him to kill Konoha shinobi, until Tsunade administered him an antidote just as he was about to claim his first victim."

Koharu raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. "That certainly is interesting, however it sounds as if the threat has been dealt with, and that Tsunade is to thank."

Homura nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes, I certainly don't see how the Hokage is to blame, Danzo. It seems that any potential crisis has been averted."

The bandaged Elder tightened his grip on his cane but concealed all other signs of annoyance. He knew how stubborn the Councillors could be and so he had to proceed carefully in order to persuade them of his point of view. The future of the village depended on it.

"Ever since she became Hokage, Tsunade has failed to adequately deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. Even now she is being complacent, thinking that she has solved the problem. Surely you are not so ignorant as to believe that the Akatsuki will allow itself to be countered this easily! They are clearly intent on using the Hatake against the village. But because of misguided personal loyalties, Tsunade fails to see that for the safety of Konoha, the Jonin must remain under constant supervision and be prevented from leaving Konoha until we decide how best to use him against those who seek to turn him on us."

The Hokage's two advisors sat in silence for a few moments and Danzo knew that they were trying and failing to fault his logic.

Then Homura spoke. "Surely you know that Kakashi Hatake is neither the type to be easily subdued, nor unwillingly kept in confinement."

Koharu responded before Danzo had a chance to. "But if Tsunade was complicit in this, he would have no choice. Not even one as headstrong as the Copy-Ninja could refuse Hokage's orders."

"However," Danzo rejoined ominously, "our current Hokage would never give such an order. She allows the Hatake to keep his freedom, even though the Akatsuki seek to use him to destroy all that we hold dear. If this continues, a situation resembling Orochimaru's attack on Konoha is sure to arise. If the Akatsuki use their nefarious means to make the Copy-Ninja join forces with them then the destruction of everything our ancestors have died for will be all but inevitable."

"I see what you mean Danzo," said Homura slowly, "and if it comes to that, I suppose we will have no choice but to gain the ruling of the Daimyo and select a new Hokage, one who will be willing to carry out the necessary measures and act in Konoha's best interests dispassionately."

It took Danzo immense effort to suppress the wolfish grin that threatened to spread across his face. Instead he simply nodded and replied, "My thoughts exactly."

* * *

Four days later and Kakashi was using a copious amount of chakra in order to fend off an armada of orange-clad knuckleheads – as well as dodging Sakura's devastating punches and Sai's agile menagerie of ink-based creations. However, the three young ninja were no match for their Sensei, especially now that his strength was virtually resorted.

Eventually both Sakura and Sai were nearing exhaustion and Naruto's clones had all been dispatched. The blonde was standing opposite his Sensei, panting. Kakashi meant for the impromptu battle to stop there. He'd made sure that his team could not tell, but in fact the debilitating headache from days earlier was starting to return, making it increasingly difficult for Kakashi to concentrate. But for some reason his chakra flow refused to die down.

Suddenly an uncontrollable surge of hatred dissolved all other thoughts. Before he could stop it, Kakashi's Raikiri had manifested itself in his hand. He rushed forward and plunged the ball of lightning through the chest of what was now only a dissipating cloud of white vapour.

Kakashi stood still, his hand falling limply to his side. What the hell had just happened? He heard Naruto's laughter from behind him and had never been more thankful that he had a trickster as a student.

"Heheh, I thought I got you there Kakashi-Sensei! But I guess you knew it was a clone all along. So much for my surprise attack."

Kakashi looked up at the troublemaking kid who seemed oblivious to the fact that he'd just tried to kill him. Sai however had his eyes narrowed, and Sakura's face was a shade paler than usual. He knew that their shock was due to the S-rank jutsu he'd just used in a simple sparring match. But Kakashi also knew, or at least sincerely hoped neither of them had realised that he'd actually intended to kill his student.

Then, without warning, an agonising pain began to pulse through Kakashi's entire body. He fell to his knees and his students gasped and knelt beside him. Their frantic voices blurred into one another and the sound became dim and distant. Then the pain began to manifest itself in the areas where Kakashi had channelled the greatest amount of chakra. His right hand felt like it was on fire and he had his left hand pressed hard against his violently throbbing Sharingan. Just as Kakashi began to fear the sensation would steal his consciousness, the agony started to subside.

With disgust, Kakashi started to suspect what had caused this sudden reaction. The antidote, which the Akatsuki had surely known he'd be given, must have in fact been a catalyst. It had caused the originally neural poison to diffuse into his Chakra Network. That meant that any time he tried to access his chakra, Kakashi would be overcome by an urge to kill any comrades around him. And the backlash of this was a strain on his body that was unlike anything he'd experienced before – and that was saying a lot. The pain had seemed to radiate from the very core of his being, and he knew that this was what Itachi had meant when he'd said the poison would eventually kill him. Kakashi was sure that the reaction would become more intense every time he used his chakra. Bleakly the Jonin wondered how many of his comrades he'd end up killing before the poison eventually claimed his life.

Kakashi immediately chastised himself for having allowed those thoughts to enter his mind. He had to stay objective; analyse the situation. If this poison was affecting his Keirakukei then it meant that someone else's blood had been mixed in with it to act as the formerly dormant catalyst. And Kakashi would have to use their blood in order to cure himself once and for all. But who could it have been? Someone who had blood compatible with his own. Well he was the last of the Hatake Clan, so that ruled out any relatives…

Kakashi was promptly distracted from his musings as the pain behind his Sharingan returned with renewed vigour.

"Wait…! That's it!" he exclaimed, causing a look of tempered puzzlement from Sakura and Sai and one of complete confusion from Naruto. The pain then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared and Kakashi stood up.

"Training's over for today," he told his team and began to walk away.

"Sensei?" The anxiety in Sakura's trembling voice made Kakashi's heart clench. He should have realised the situation soon enough to avoid this scenario. Her tear-filled green eyes met his. "Are you alright? You must have pushed yourself before you were ready. You should go home and rest."

"Thanks Sakura, I'll do that." Kakashi turned once again to go. "See you all later," he said, smiling as convincingly as he could and waving back over his shoulder at his bewildered team.

But Kakashi knew that he would not get any sleep tonight. He had thinking to do and plans to make. Possessing the Sharingan meant that there was only one member of the Akatsuki whose genetic material was sure not to be rejected in Kakashi's system. And so now the Copy-Ninja's true mission became clear. Obtain the blood of Itachi Uchiha.


	5. Restless

Chapter 5

Restless

Three groups secretly discussed their plans. One for peace, one for power, and one to change the world forever. But, like everything else in the world of shinobi, these plans would cause conflict and pain. One group regretted this, one simply accepted it, and the other group had hungered for it ever since their formation. They longed to bring pain to the world; so that everyone could understand the cost of war and hatred. In separate ways each group strived for stability, and their own ideals. But right now all they could do was plan. And hope that – if all else failed – they would remain one step ahead of their enemies.

* * *

"I'm sorry Kakashi, he destroyed all the samples we had before he left the village." Tsunade's voice betrayed her distress.

"Don't worry," the masked Jonin replied calmly, "I knew it was too much to hope for."

He hadn't really expected there to be any remaining samples of Itachi's blood left in the village, but he'd wanted to be sure before he did this the hard way.

"Anyway," he continued, "that's why I told you what was going on, because if anyone would know of surviving samples, you would. But what I don't understand is why you had to get everyone else involved…" he looked around at the others standing in the room before adding, "No offence."

For some reason, Tsunade had decided to let Genma, Asuma, and Yamato in on the situation. And now they were all gathered in her office discussing how best to proceed.

The other three remained silent as it was clear Tsunade was about to explain her reasoning.

"Kakashi, did you seriously think I was going to let you do this alone?"

"Well considering I've already tried to kill one of the people you want to send with me, yes. But clearly I was mistaken."

"Indeed. Genma and Yamato will be accompanying you, and Asuma will arrive later after he's completed the mission I'm about to assign his team."

This time Asuma was the one objecting. "You can't send me on a mission now, I have to help Kakashi!"

Genma's soft laugh held a hint of irony – as did his response. "I don't really think any of us has a say in this, Asuma. And anyway, you got to help him out against Itachi that time a couple years ago."

"Well technically it was him who helped us out," Asuma admitted in a matter-of-fact tone.

Now it was Tsunade's turn to laugh. "So if it was your fight, Asuma, why was Kakashi the one who ended up unconscious for three weeks?"

Genma grinned. "Asuma clearly wasn't much help."

The bearded Jonin grunted indignantly, but Genma continued.

"So there's no real reason for him to go along this time."

After listening with mild amusement to his friends' dispute, Kakashi felt it was about time he set the record straight. "I don't see why any of you want to come. I always say that I never let my comrades die, but right now I'm the one most endangering all of your lives. I have to put a stop to this before anyone else gets hurt. And I have to do it alone."

Yamato – the only person who thankfully hadn't joined in the argument – chose this moment to air his views. "That's very honourable of you Senpai, but you know you're not going to win this argument. Or this battle if you chose to go alone. Whether it puts our lives in danger or not, we're going with you, just like you would do for us. And seeing as it's Hokage's orders we wouldn't have a choice anyway."

Kakashi rolled his eyes sullenly. The fact that these idiots were all so willing to die for him made his task of keeping them safe a lot more difficult. But, like everyone seemed to be saying, he really did not have a choice.

"Fine then," he sighed, "we leave at dawn. We'll be tracking Itachi using my Ninken; they never forget a person's scent. By the time we reach Konoha's borders they ought to be able to tell us exactly where we need to go. At this point we'll devise our route together. Then Asuma, you'll complete your assignment knowing approximately where to find us later. And Genma, Yamato and I will set off."

Kakashi knew that, as Hokage, Tsunade would be having the last word. So he stopped there and waited for her to proceed.

"The mission you three – and later four – are about to go on, will be classified as top secret. No one shall be informed of it. Not the Councillors and certainly not Danzo. I think that old fool is up to something, but whatever happens he is not going to know your mission and I will not allow him to interfere with it. Understood?"

The four shinobi nodded firmly and Tsunade gave a determined smile. Kakashi could see her trying to suppress her concern. The increasingly familiar feeling of guilt washed over him once more. He should never have let this happen. He should never have caused so many people to worry about his safety and their own. And he certainly should not be putting the lives of those he loves in so much danger.

The stakes were far too high for the Copy-Ninja's liking, but what else could he do? Now that Kakashi knew he would not be acting alone, he had to come up with a completely foolproof plan. A single wrong move could cost the life of one of his closest friends. And even if they were willing to lay down their lives for him, Kakashi would never allow such a thing to happen. But all he could do now was pray that – when the time came – he would have the power to prevent it.

* * *

As with every other night for the past eight years, Itachi could not sleep. The sound Kisame's snoring drifted over to him from somewhere deep within the chamber's impenetrable darkness. His partner sometimes spoke in his sleep; the mumbled words revealed the blue-skinned ninja's blissful dreams of his most brutal acts of slaughter. However, when such dreams plagued Itachi, he derived from them no pleasure. Such nightmares enabled him to understand and often even pity the victims of his Tsukuyomi. He had always found it ironic that the Mangekyo Sharingan allowed him to inflict upon others the same pain that he feared most. And so, as usual, Itachi strove to stay awake; thus preventing his parents' pleading faces from invading his mind once again.

In order to facilitate this, the Uchiha tried to keep his mind occupied. He decided to go over the Akatsuki's latest plan. His own opinions about the organisation he was bound to were irrelevant. Right now Itachi had to ensure that, by no means, could the Copy-Ninja outwit them as he did everyone else. He could not afford to be anything other than objective. The fact that they had once been comrades was unimportant. Itachi would comply with everything the Akatsuki demanded of him until the day he died – as long as the organisation never tried to interfere with the manner of his death.

At this very moment it was likely that the Copy-Ninja was trying to track him down, having discovered the poison's second function. Everything was going according to plan. Once he arrived, the Hatake would be subdued and brought under the Akatsuki's control once and for all. And after he'd become completely subservient to their will, the aspect of the poison that would eventually kill the Hatake would no longer be needed. However, at the moment it was giving the Copy-Ninja another reason to avoid using his chakra. And Kakashi would need plenty of chakra in reserve for when he arrived; they would use it to test their control over the Jonin. And – in order to ensure that their plan had been successful – they would need to rely on him not having travelled alone. After all, how could they test Kakashi's desire to kill his comrades without any comrades there to be killed?

One thing Itachi had learnt about Kakashi from their time in the ANBU was that – in the most dangerous of circumstances – the Copy-Ninja always preferred to operate alone. But another thing that he had observed was the unwavering loyalty that Kakashi inadvertently attracted. And normally this meant that his comrades would rather risk their own lives than leave him to face death alone. That was what Itachi was relying on most for the Akatsuki's plan to be successful. Beyond that, the Uchiha knew that their plan was flawless. So much so that he decided there was nothing to gain by spending all night dwelling on the finer points.

And so with renewed confidence, Itachi's eyes began to close. Sleep always claimed him in the end. And, as with every other night for the past eight years, Itachi's dreams made him long for insomnia once more.

* * *

Kakashi had not bothered with sleep that night. From dusk until an hour before dawn he'd stood vigil at Obito's grave. What would the carefree Uchiha say if he saw him now? He had been backed into a corner, with the lives of his few remaining loved ones at stake. His old friend's final words echoed in Kakashi's mind. Obito had made him promise to protect Rin no matter what, and Kakashi had failed. For Obito's sake he would not fail again. And if he became too much of a danger to his comrades, Kakashi knew he would allow the poison to take his life.

Stating such a thing – even to himself – made Kakashi feel like a failure once more. Every time in the past that he'd fought his way back from the brink of death had been so that he could continue to serve the village and protect those he loved. But if protecting his comrades left no option other than death, then Kakashi would gladly accept that.

Despite these grim thoughts, the Copy-Ninja had faith in his plan so far. It was true that the Akatsuki could be unpredictable at times, but Kakashi knew that their overall goal would be to wield him as some kind of secret weapon. But this battle of wits was like a Shogi match. It was not the opponent's overall aim that mattered, but rather how they intended to achieve it. For each possible move Kakashi would have to remain at least ten steps ahead. And for each step he would have to predict every potential counter move. Kakashi knew that winning this game would test the absolute limits of his physical and mental capabilities. The price of losing would be his comrades' deaths. His own death was simply one possible outcome amidst hundreds of different strategies, it was a consequence that he could live with – so to speak. Kakashi felt prepared, but even he could not tell how this mission would turn out.

As the moon slowly began to sink and a wreath of pink cloud shimmered in the east, Kakashi made his way home to gather together the needed supplies. He began going through his drawers and cupboards, ticking each item off in his mind as he went. Ration bars, kunai, shuriken, summoning scrolls… Kakashi stopped. How was he supposed to summon his Ninken without immediately wanting to murder his beloved hounds? That was a challenge that even the Copy-Ninja would have to think about for a moment.

Kakashi looked at the pile of assorted objects that now lay on his bed. Smiling slightly he took the Manriki-gusari and the Kusari-gama. He then sat on the floor and used the chain from the Manriki-gusari to bind his legs. Confident that it would take him at least a few minutes to free his feet without use of his hands, Kakashi reached for the Kusari-gama. He wrapped the chain around his upper arms first and then worked his way down until – with considerable effort – he'd managed to bind his arms and hands despite his increasingly restricted mobility. Again Kakashi knew that the chains would not be able to hold him for long, but he felt that it would be long enough. The Kusari-gama's scythe blade was positioned between his wrists. Kakashi managed to twist his arms slightly so that he could slide his hands over the blade hard enough to draw blood. He'd made sure to leave himself mobile enough to perform the necessary signs, although barely. Kakashi then pressed his bleeding palms against the floor and channelled his chakra into the jutsu.

Instantly his Ninken appeared in front of him. Kakashi looked at them steadily before saying, "Just wait there for a moment, okay?"

If the dogs gave a response then Kakashi didn't hear it. Much sooner than before, his senses were overcome by indomitable killing intent. He strained hard at the chains that bound him. Then, with methodical malice, he began to work his way loose. But, as he'd assumed it would, the pain following chakra usage also came more suddenly. The intensity had increased ten-fold and Kakashi fought to remain conscious even as he convulsed with agony.

Then – after at least five minutes longer than the last time – the pain subsided, leaving Kakashi gasping for air. His heart rate eventually slowed and he regained enough control over his shaking body to undo the already loosened chains. Gradually, the Jonin stood up and faced his ninja hounds – each of whom had a somewhat quizzical expression, naturally used to being summoned into bizarre situations.

"Yo," Kakashi said simply, raising one of his now free, but still bleeding hands. "Sorry about that. I have a mission for you."

"Will that be before or after you tell us what on Earth's going on?" Pakkun enquired mildly.

"I was hoping before, but never mind," Kakashi answered, and then proceeded to explain the situation as quickly and accurately as he could. His Ninken remained fairly composed throughout, apart from the odd growl and bristling of fur at the mention of the Akatsuki. The fact that a few minutes ago he'd wanted to kill them didn't seem to bother the dogs at all. Kakashi had trained them to remain objective and because they were not human, they found it easier to analyse information without their emotions causing unnecessary distraction.

The Copy-Ninja then packed his supplies and left the room, Ninken in tow. The first light of dawn was creeping over the horizon as Kakashi reached the village gates. For once, he was the first to arrive – proving that he could be on time when it truly mattered. Then the Ninken dispersed to try and locate any trace of Itachi's scent. And Kakashi had a suspicion that the Uchiha was not going to make himself that hard to find. Pakkun was the last to leave; he turned to lock eyes with his master. Kakashi nodded in response to the unspoken request in his longtime companion's gaze. He would do his best to survive this one, if only to prevent disappointing his oldest friend.

Soon the rest of the group arrived. It seemed that none of them had slept particularly well either, but despite that they looked ready and eager to get going. Kakashi surveyed each of his comrades in turn before saying, "Are you sure you're prepared to do this? It's not too late for any of you to go back."

Yamato's face grew serious, Asuma rolled his eyes, and Genma chuckled before speaking for all three of them. "Come on 'Kashi, it was too late from the moment we first met you. Now shut up and let's go."

The Copy-Ninja smiled sadly from behind his ever-present mask. He thought of all the mistakes he'd made in the past, and the tragedies they had caused. Pain and regret would haunt him all his life; that much he had long since accepted. But in spite of that, Kakashi would always feel blessed to have such devoted, loyal friends still remaining with him. And he was determined to protect them with every ounce of strength he had.

* * *

Danzo paced the halls of his Root headquarters, stopping only to observe the faint tinge of dawn's first light as it illuminated the dusky corridor. Unmoved by this display of natural beauty, Danzo continued. After what seemed like hours, the Operative he'd been waiting for finally arrived.

"Report," Danzo ordered, his back still turned to his subordinate.

"As you predicted my Lord, Kakashi Hatake has left the village. And he was not alone. Asuma Sarutobi, Genma Shiranui, and Tenzo of the ANBU Black Ops have gone with him. There are no records showing an officially assigned mission."

Danzo raised one hand to signal the Operative's dismissal. Everything was going according to his plan. All he had to do now was tell the Councillors that the Copy-Ninja and his cohorts had deserted the village under the influence of the Akatsuki. Considering the progress he'd made in their last meeting, getting them to believe this story would not be too difficult. Then they would pay a visit to the Daimyo. And finally Konoha would be led by a truly worthy Hokage, instead of some sentimental, weak-minded pacifist.

And should Kakashi happen to make it back alive, Danzo would be the one to thank for convincing him that his loyalties lay with Konoha, not with the Akatsuki. And if he died, admittedly it would lessen Konoha's military advantage, but seeing as Tsunade had allowed him to get poisoned in the first place it would lower her reputation still further, and thus boost Danzo's popularity. Not that he cared. Konoha would be his by the week's end, whether the people wanted it or not.


	6. Motives

Chapter 6

Motives

The thirty men advanced as a single unit, intent on their shared goal. They would not rest until their target was dead or they'd all died trying to bring him down. The three principles ingrained into their minds drove them forward. At all costs remain fearless, relentless and merciless. They had all concealed even the faintest trace of their chakra. Although apparently not even this would ensure complete secrecy. It simply meant that only the target would be able to sense their approach. In each of their minds, two red and black pinwheels spun – the heartless glare of their captor's eyes. This had been their final sight before embarking upon their crucial mission.

* * *

In the heart of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo was far from happy. One of his own servants had had the impertinence to disturb him during breakfast. Naturally the uncivilised fool had been fired immediately, but not before he'd managed to inform him of a problem that was sure to put a crimp in the Feudal Lord's plans for the day. Apparently Konoha's Elders were coming to pay him a visit. And wherever those nosy old windbags went, a headache and in this case a ruined meal was sure to follow.

He sighed and rose from his chair before crossing over into the meeting hall. He then sat back down again in his jewelled throne at the head of a virtually endless conference table. Another servant stepped cautiously to his side and bowed low, raising his head and speaking only after the Daimyo had signalled him to do so. That was more like it.

"My Lord, the Elders of Konohagakure await an audience with you."

The Daimyo raised an eyebrow and lowered his gently flapping fan. "Do they indeed? Well send them in then, I suppose."

The servant bustled off to open the intricately painted Fusuma doors. As they slid ajar the Daimyo sat slightly straighter and folded his hands in his lap. The three Elders' expressions as they strode in told the Feudal Lord that this meeting would not be an enjoyable one. The Leader of the Land of Fire was shrewder than he appeared – or at least he liked to think so. And thus he'd deduced from the briskness of their step and the rigidity of their posture that the three ninja wanted something and would not leave until they got it. He felt tempted to immediately capitulate to their demands just so that he could return to his breakfast in peace. Because whether for an emergency or the triviality of trivialities, no one disturbed the Fire Daimyo during his morning meal!

In typical Konoha fashion the three ancient shinobi sat without being bidden and the most insufferable of them all spoke first. "Lord Daimyo, I'll get straight to the point. Our current Hokage has allowed the influence of the Akatsuki to enter our village and this has led to the defection of Kakashi Hatake. The Akatsuki have turned him into a weapon to use against us. We must take action immediately."

Without giving the Daimyo a chance to respond, the second old man, Homura Mitokado, voiced his opinion. "I concur with Danzo, and believe I speak for the three of us in saying that steps must be taken at once towards rectifying the situation."

Then Koharu Utatane spoke. "We have decided that, because Tsunade has betrayed the village – and thus the entire Land of Fire – she must be replaced. And as he was the one to detect this treachery, we Councillors back Lord Danzo for the title of Hokage. We simply need your approval."

For the first time in his lifelong reign, the Daimyo was struck speechless. Had the Ninja World really become so corrupt that village leaders were betraying their own people? He had a suspicion that he was not being told the full story. Danzo's moral depravity and hunger for power must have been what set this plan in motion. But the facts couldn't be ignored, if they said Kakashi Hatake had left the village under the Akatsuki's influence then it must be true. Because one thing was certain: if he was still there, the son of the White Fang would never allow such a scheme to reach fruition. Even he knew that.

But the Daimyo felt Konoha should be allowed to run its own affairs. After all, the majority of his Land's income came from the missions carried out by the ninja village. And as long as the rest of the village accepted their new leader, the lucrative missions would continue and his own fortune would keep growing. And if the Daimyo decreed it, then his people – ninja and civilian alike – would have to accept it. Because, at the end of the day, he was their Lord.

Eventually the leader of the Land of Fire gave his verdict. "Do what you will, you have my permission. But your title will only be honorary until the Jonin Council have voted their approval. And if I see that Konoha is no longer prospering under your guidance, I have the right to rescind your position. But for now, Danzo Shimura, you are the new Hokage and Lord of Konohagakure."

With that the Daimyo scrawled his signature on the parchment presented to him by Koharu and stamped the official seal on the envelope into which Homura placed it. The two Councillors then spoke the perfunctory phrase as one. "We testify to having witnessed this transaction."

A shadow of a smile crossed the Sixth Hokage's lips as he rose from his chair. "So be it," he said simply and left the room, Councillors in tow.

The Daimyo wasted no time in returning to his breakfast, which luckily – for the most part – had remained unspoiled. Through the arched windows behind him storm clouds were already beginning to gather. But here in his luxurious palace the Landlord was far removed from such trivial problems. A period of great change was in store for Konohagakure, that much the Daimyo was sure of. But whether it would be for better or for worse, he simply did not care.

* * *

Tsunade sat in silence, contemplating the meal in front of her. Right now she had no appetite for anything other than saké, and unfortunately she'd managed to completely exhaust her supply. The Hokage had considered sending Shizune to buy some more, but she knew that even if she pulled rank on her protégé it would be a wasted effort.

"Lady Tsunade, please get a hold of yourself. It's barely even nine in the morning. Do you really want to spend all the money you won last night on saké?"

"Screw the money! Can't you tell something awful's about to happen?" Tsunade couldn't keep the note of hysteria out of her voice and knew that the alcohol had accentuated her emotions. It was unusual for Shizune's soothing tone to be grating this much on her nerves.

"It'll be okay, just calm down."

"How can you tell me to calm down? The Akatsuki's opened its jaws and that Brat's walking right into them, Danzo's up to something, and to top it all off I won three hundred Ryo last night! How the hell do you expect me to calm down?"

Shizune smiled patiently. "You know what they say, 'Problems are best faced with a clear mind.'"

With a snort of derisive laughter the Hokage raised her cup, preparing to drain the precious last few drops of saké. But at that precise moment the door swung open. She gave a start and the porcelain cup clattered to the floor. However, after seeing who was standing in the doorway, broken crockery became the least of Tsunade's worries.

Her speech was slurred but a fire burned in the Hokage's eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

"I don't believe permission is required to enter my own office."

Tsunade sat there in complete bewilderment while Danzo walked forward and placed a sealed envelope on her desk; it bore the insignia of the Fire Daimyo. When it became clear that she had no intention of opening it, the bandaged Elder did so for her.

"It seems you are too influenced by alcohol to read at the moment," he stated bluntly, "so I'll summarise it for you. This scroll, which has been signed by the Daimyo himself, is an official decree handing control of Konohagakure over to me, due to your recent neglect of duty."

Shizune's face flushed bright red. "WHAT? You despicable–"

"Leave it, Shizune," Tsunade cut across her aide's outburst, now feeling completely sober for the first time that morning. She spoke through gritted teeth. "We'll go quietly, he knows he'll never get away with this."

She'd been sure that Danzo would find a way to use Kakashi's departure to his advantage, but this went beyond even her worst expectations. However, right now it was more important to protect the Brat's mission. She would not allow Danzo to interfere with his assignment, even if it meant giving him the power he craved. Her hope was that after Kakashi had completed his mission, he'd be able to come back and set the record straight. And when – not if – he returned, everything could go back to how it once was.

Tsunade knew that she hadn't even managed to convince herself. How was she going to get the rest of the village to believe that everything would be alright? Damn it! She could've killed for some saké right about now.

* * *

Kakashi and his three comrades had been running for just over two hours and already they were nearing Konoha's border. The closer they got to the edge of the forest, the less confident Kakashi felt in their plan. It had seemed fairly straightforward while they were all still safe in the village, but now that they were about to forge a path into the unknown he was somewhat more doubtful. On the other hand, misgivings would get him nowhere this late in the game. And the Jonin's feeling of discomfort grew further with the memory of that mission a few weeks ago, which had also brought him to the outskirts of Konoha. And even though the Rogue Ninja from that time had all been killed, the uninhabited expanse of land beyond Leaf Territory could be a very dangerous place.

The Copy-Ninja tried to leave these unhelpful thoughts behind as he headed to where his Ninken were already waiting. The four ninja stood in silent anticipation, none of them knowing where the dogs' noses would send them.

Kakashi stepped forward to where Pakkun was perched atop Buru's head. "Well…?" he asked steadily.

"Well," the Pug replied, "we managed to pick up Itachi's scent in half the time it should have taken, even at our fastest. You know what that means."

"Of course," Kakashi responded firmly.

Genma rolled his eyes. "Care to enlighten the rest of us?"

Kakashi sighed. "It could mean that the Akatsuki are trying to lead us into a trap using a scent that is easier to follow than it should be. But it's most likely that they simply want us to find them quickly."

Asuma's confusion was evident in his tone. "Why would they want to be found?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yamato remarked with clear impatience. "They want Kakashi-Senpai to arrive as soon as possible so that they can complete whatever plan they've laid out."

Being an ANBU, and his former student, Yamato could deduce the motives of his enemies almost as well as Kakashi could, which was another reason why he would prove useful on this mission. But each of the Copy-Ninja's comrades had vital skills that he knew he'd need before the end.

"Correct," Pakkun continued. "Now, as the crow flies you'll find the hideout eight hundred and fifteen Ri north-north-west of this point."

Asuma gave a low whistle. "That's a serious distance."

Kakashi did a few quick calculations. "It means that if we run at a constant speed of just over eight Ri an hour for fourteen and a half hours each day, it ought to take a week to get there."

"If you say so kid," Pakkun responded in his usual gruff tone. "Either way our work here is done."

"Right, thanks Pakkun. Thanks all of you." He gave each dog a quick pat on the head and they responded with playful yips before eying their master sceptically. He hated the way they were looking at him as if it was the last time they'd see each other. But to be fair they had a point. He smiled at his Ninken as they vanished, but after the smoke had cleared Kakashi's face grew serious once more.

"So this is it for me too then," Asuma said quietly. "Good luck and I'll catch you guys up later."

The others nodded and the bearded Jonin turned and began his journey to where the rest of his team were waiting. Kakashi knew that Asuma would have to stop by the village to submit his mission report before he could meet up with them again. And he had a sneaking suspicion that whatever news his friend brought from Konoha, they were not going to like it. But right now he had to focus on the task at hand. Namely, reaching the Akatsuki's hideout safely. Because only after that could the game truly begin.

* * *

It was four days into their trip and finally Yamato had managed to convince Kakashi that the Jonin didn't need to be the only one taking watch duty. The Copy-Ninja had barely slept in the last few days, if he'd slept at all. And occasionally Yamato had observed his former Senpai sitting guard for hours with one hand pressed to his brow as if in pain. Once when he'd asked him about it the elder ninja had simply shrugged and replied that he'd been trying to think.

But Yamato didn't need to be an ANBU to realise there was something wrong. And he didn't need to be one of Kakashi's closest friends to know that the Copy-Ninja would never admit it. So Yamato had told Kakashi that if he continued to take watch by himself then he was just going to sit there with him. For one night this had been what'd actually happened, but it seemed that even someone as stubborn as Kakashi couldn't ignore the idiocy of this situation. So finally the Jonin had surrendered and now lay on his bedroll perfectly still, but likely wide awake.

"Oh well," said Yamato quietly to himself, "better than nothing I suppose."

Hopeful that Kakashi was not going to get up, the ANBU went further out from the camp, leaving behind the slow, rhythmic sound of Genma's snoring. At least one of them was getting some sleep tonight. He walked out beyond the small forest in which they had sheltered for the night and sat down on one of the large boulders that punctuated the otherwise desolate landscape beyond the copse. Stifling a yawn, Yamato settled in for the watch that would last him until sunrise.

A few hours later the moon had finally begun to sink; the night having been thoroughly uneventful. But then, as if sensing his boredom, a faint noise from somewhere behind him caught Yamato's attention. It gradually increased in volume and its steady rhythm betrayed its origin: running footsteps. Instinctively Yamato jumped up, shot one hand to his katana and settled into a slight crouch, ready to do battle at a moment's notice. But when the mysterious intruder burst through the tree-line the ANBU's arm fell limply to his side. It was Genma. And the distraught look on the normally aloof shinobi's face was enough to set Yamato on edge.

"Kakashi's gone!" Genma stated in a hoarse whisper.

"Gone where?" Yamato immediately chided himself for having asked such a stupid question.

"If I knew that I wouldn't be here, idiot. Now we've got to–"

"Shut up!"

"Not quite what I was going to say, but alright," Responded Genma, his tone thick with sarcasm.

Yamato rolled his eyes. He had heard another sound, and if the senbon toting moron could manage to hold his tongue for a moment he might just be able to work out where it had come from.

"Follow me," Yamato commanded in an urgent voice.

Genma raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Oh for Gods' sakes just do it. I think I heard something."

With that the Tokubetsu Jonin became all business. He followed Yamato without further question and the two ran in silence towards where the sounds of battle were becoming increasingly evident.

Yamato's heart missed a beat when they burst onto the scene. Kakashi stood in the middle of at least twenty-five enemies – not including the ones whose bodies already lay on the ground in varying states of entirety. Each of his hands was clasped around a katana, which had clearly been taken from the two nearest prone forms. For a moment Yamato met his Senpai's eyes and for some reason there was clear annoyance in Kakashi's gaze, as if they'd intruded upon some private activity.

But a second later the Copy-Ninja launched back into the fray. The shinobi he was fighting were not altogether unskilled, however it seemed that Kakashi was only using taijutsu against them. This worried Yamato because he doubted that even his Senpai could outlast them like this. Still, he couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate the fluid grace and complete confidence that marked every untraceably fast movement the Copy-Ninja made. But as each enemy fell, two more would rush in to take his place.

Kakashi's movements were beginning to slow, almost imperceptibly, but enough for Yamato to know that he couldn't just stand their watching any longer. Genma had clearly arrived at the same conclusion and together the two shinobi ran forward to do battle beside their most loyal comrade. The time to ask Kakashi what the hell he'd been thinking would have to come later. For now survival was Yamato's top priority. After all, the most challenging part of their mission was yet to come.


	7. Rage

Chapter 7

Rage

It was a calm night and soon it would be morning. The moon had advanced in no particular hurry and a rosy blush had coloured the sky with gentle patience. But as the dawn chorus began to rise, so too did other, less peaceful sounds. The clash of tempered steel, dull thuds, and heavy crashes. But worst of all was the silence that followed. The birdsong ceased, the rustle of the undergrowth abated; even the wind was stilled. And as the sun burst forth, expecting a welcome to rival her own warmth, nothing stirred in the small expanse of woodland. So the sun cast her red fire in anger upon the leafy ground. But it went unnoticed, as the earth had already been stained a deep, unnatural crimson.

* * *

The Copy-Ninja was surrounded. He had done as much as he could without using chakra, but things were starting to get desperate. Soon he would be forced to finish these Rogue Ninja off with a jutsu or two, as much as he could manage before the inevitable backlash incapacitated him. That was why he'd gone out to meet them instead of allowing them near his comrades. Because if worst came to worst Kakashi wanted to be the only one forced to suffer.

Initially taijutsu had been sufficient, but with each minor wound that Kakashi had sustained, his enemies had seemed to gain strength. And that wasn't the only thing strange about this particular bunch of Rogue Ninja. What surprised Kakashi most was that they hadn't said a word the entire battle. On the countless other occasions that he had found himself completely outnumbered, the enemies in question had at least taken some time to gloat over the fact. Normally they'd create a convenient opening for their own destruction while they mocked him for fighting against such impossible odds.

But in fact this was the second consecutive time that such unusual behaviour had been shown. The twenty Rogue Ninja he'd battled over a month ago now had also not said a word from the start of their ambush until every last one of them had lain dead at Kakashi's feet. But now was not the time to dwell on such a coincidence. Even pausing for a moment had given Kakashi's enemies a chance to get past his guard. The Copy-Ninja did not need to use his Sharingan to know what was about to come. The five nearest opponents were going to strike simultaneously, and every defensive strategy that ran through Kakashi's head involved him having to take at least one hit.

In the split second he had, Kakashi tried to decide which of the five shinobi was holding their blade at the least deadly angle. Then suddenly, the Copy-Ninja caught sight of the two people he least wanted to see right now. What the hell were they doing here? Surely the fact that he'd gone alone had told them that he didn't want or need their help. Okay perhaps he needed it, but a lot more harm could come out of their presence than good.

For a moment the ninja surrounding him followed Kakashi's gaze, but they looked straight through Genma and Yamato as if they were invisible. Still, he'd been given the chance he needed. The Copy-Ninja thrust forward with one katana and backwards with the other; he could feel the perfectly positioned blades sliding through flesh and bone as they met their marks. But Kakashi didn't have time to verify his kills; another enemy's blade was still arcing towards him. He ducked under it and swept one foot out to catch the Rogue off balance. But as he did so, other enemies closed in from all sides and he found himself surrounded once more.

Kakashi hated to admit it, but his movements were starting to slow. And although none of his injuries were life threatening, he'd lost enough blood to want to wrap this up quickly. If his plan had worked out, then at this point Kakashi would have called upon a decisive large scale jutsu to finish off the rest of the enemy. However, now that the others were here, such a move had become out of the question. But maybe the battle could still work out in their favour, if his friends ever decided to do something other than stand there gawking at him.

As if reading his mind, Yamato ran into the fray with Genma following just behind. And although they were currently outnumbered five to one, Kakashi had faith in the skill of his team-mates. Maybe, just maybe, they'd make it out of this after all.

"We need to leave one alive for interrogation!" Kakashi shouted over the noise of the battle. He knew the others had heard and so turned his attention back to the ninja who were closing in on him once more. As he spun around to face them he noticed a flash of silver to his left. One of the enemy's blades was slicing through the air towards Yamato's unprotected back. It was as if the enemy intended to cut right through the ANBU in order to get to him. And it seemed to Kakashi that the Rogue Ninja had not even noticed his comrades' arrival. This added a whole new level of perplexity to the already confusing situation. But one thing Kakashi was sure of was that if he didn't do something now, that katana would meet its mark.

The proximity of the blade to its target meant that Kakashi would not be able to completely divert its path quickly enough. And even if he took out the ninja wielding the katana, the weapon's momentum would carry it fatally onwards. Instinctively the Copy-Ninja ran through his vast repertoire of jutsu, but knew that there was no point in saving Yamato only to then try and kill the ANBU himself. And so there were very few options left to him, in fact there was only one choice that would ensure the safety of his comrade. Kakashi's mind went back to the last time he'd made such a desperate move. Then it'd been in order to save the life of Obito Uchiha. He just hoped that this time things might work out a little better.

The Jonin sighed internally, even as he leapt towards where the enemy's katana was rapidly advancing. Kakashi shoved Yamato out of the way and in doing so put his own body in the weapon's path. There was no avoiding it. The cold steel sunk deep into his abdomen, but Kakashi shot out a hand to still the blade before it could cause irreparable damage. With a blank stare and an iron grip, the enemy twisted his weapon violently before pulling it loose in preparation for another strike. But none came. The ninja abruptly fell forward, a wooden stake protruding from his chest.

Kakashi sank to his knees and found that, for the moment, he was unable to rise. But fortunately there were comparatively few of the enemy left. Genma seemed to be holding his own against the ninja around him and Kakashi knew that Yamato would be able to handle the remaining enemies as well. After all, it'd been he who'd trained him.

* * *

Genma's first thought upon entering the battle was that he couldn't believe how many of the enemy Kakashi had already managed to kill by himself, using only taijutsu. Especially considering that these foes were relatively skilled and quite resilient. Genma was using some of his most lethal senbon against them. The projectiles were laced with a poison that caused the target excruciating pain until their certain death half a minute later. But in this case, the Rogue Ninja were fighting up until the very last moment.

They seemed to be possessed with a single-minded determination, and their objective was all too obvious. Eliminate Kakashi. In fact none of them appeared at all interested in Genma unless he was engaging them directly. And so rather than defending himself, the Tokubetsu Jonin had to try and keep them away from his moronic friend.

Why had the idiot thought that he could handle thirty Jonin-level opponents by himself, without using chakra? Probably because he could. But it would not have been without cost, and none of them could afford to be severely wounded this early in the mission. Genma was abruptly distracted from his thoughts as a small volley of fireballs came streaming towards him. It was clear that they were only heading in his direction because Kakashi had managed to avoid them.

Genma went through a series of hand signs that he'd known as long as he could remember, and used a localised whirlwind to turn the jutsu on the ones who'd cast it. They responded by extinguishing the flames with a powerful cascade of water. Genma was fairly certain that between the ten remaining Rogues they still had access to every one of the five chakra natures. Hell, there might have even been some Kekkei Genkai abilities amongst them. But there were few enough enemies left that he and his comrades ought to have been able to handle it.

Genma looked over to where Kakashi and Yamato were fighting side by side. Then suddenly he saw Kakashi push Yamato to the ground. What the hell? Had Kakashi inadvertently used his chakra and so was trying to kill the ANBU? But the true reason for the Jonin's actions quickly became apparent. From this distance there was nothing Genma could do but watch in horror as the katana sped towards where Kakashi now stood. And as the blade pierced the body of his closest friend, Genma let out a cry of pain as if he'd received the wound himself.

He saw Yamato rise, even as Kakashi sank to the ground, and knew that they had to finish off the rest of the enemy now. It was painfully clear that Kakashi could no longer defend himself. And so Genma readied his most deadly senbon, the ones he'd been saving to kill that bastard Itachi, and began to fell the Rogue Ninja around him.

All too soon it was over and for a few moments absolute silence reigned. Then the sun's red light burst through the trees to illuminate the body-strewn clearing. It was only now that Genma realised they'd failed to follow Kakashi's instructions. Their blind rage and desire to protect their wounded friend had caused both he and Yamato to murder every remaining enemy. But at the moment, this was the least of Genma's concerns. He rushed over to Kakashi's side, praying as he did so that the injury would prove not to be as bad as it looked. Although, knowing Kakashi's luck, Genma wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being worse.

* * *

Naruto was beyond pissed. For four hours he'd been sitting in a dingy little room, guarded by two of the most annoying people he'd ever met. They were wearing black cloaks and white masks and refused to answer any of his questions, including why he hadn't even been allowed to finish his ramen before being brought to this horrible place.

Granny Tsunade could get pretty mean when she was angry, but she'd never done something like this before. But all he knew was that he was being taken to see the Hokage, so that had to mean this was Tsunade's idea. He'd recognised this place as Hokage Tower but he'd never seen these dark grimy rooms before, even when he'd secretly explored the Tower as a kid.

As the hours stretched on, Naruto started to get into a routine. He would yell at his guards for a few minutes at a time, be completely ignored, and then spend a while sulking. And after he'd sulked for long enough he'd start yelling once more. This was the point in the cycle that he was up to at the moment.

"LET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE YOU FREAKS!"

There was no response.

"I SAID LET ME GO!"

The guards remained unstirred. Granny Tsunade was so going to pay for this! Naruto was completely fed-up. He didn't care whose orders they were, he was not going to just sit there any more. Then a quiet, silky voice spoke to him from somewhere deep within his subconscious, '_You've been saying the same thing for hours now, boy. Go on, do something about it. MAKE them listen._' Maybe if Naruto had been slightly calmer he would have ignored this tantalising proposal. But he'd had enough.

Without another thought, the young Jinchuriki got to his feet. He clenched his fists, and as his nails lengthened they dug into his palms. With a guttural snarl he took a step towards the silent guards. They turned and Naruto saw their eyes widen in fear. That was more like it. Finally he'd get them to listen. When the blonde shinobi spoke, his voice – now barely above a whisper – promised pain and much, much more.

"Let me out of this place, or I will kill you."

The two guards shrank back slightly, but as they did so the door they'd been guarding swung open. Standing on the threshold was the weirdest dressed old man Naruto had ever seen. Half his face was covered in bandages and he wore a white robe with a black shawl draped over most of his body, and tied at the waist by a grey sash. But what stood out most about this old man's appearance was the tricorne hat sitting firmly on his head. Naruto's rage was at once replaced by confusion.

"What the hell are you doing in Granny Tsunade's hat?" the boy demanded.

Finally one of the stoic guards spoke. "This is Lord Danzo, the Sixth Hokage of Konoha. It would be fitting for you to show some more respect."

Now Naruto was completely dumbfounded. This mummified freak couldn't be Hokage! What had happened to Granny Tsunade? What the hell was going on? This so-called 'Lord' Danzo stepped further into the room and Naruto growled deeper. Then the wannabe Hokage spoke.

"It is clear that the Jinchuriki does not have control over the Biju sealed within him."

"So it would appear." This cold voice came from the passage outside, and then another man stepped into the room, followed by a woman. They seemed even older than this Danzo guy, but that might have just been because their whole faces were visible.

The old woman's voice was shrill and wheezy. "So with that confirmed, we can finally do what Tsunade should have done years ago."

The bandaged old fossil had a sick grin on his face. "Yes. From now on the Nine-tails Jinchuriki will be kept in confinement."

* * *

Kakashi looked up at his team-mates with mild annoyance. Genma and Yamato were really making a big deal out of nothing. Yes his wound was inconvenient, but it was hardly life threatening. And to prove that he still had all his faculties the Copy-Ninja rose to his feet. He felt a brief wave of disorientation but otherwise was none the worse for his injury. It took Kakashi a few seconds to realise that in fact his vision had only stopped swimming because he could no longer see at all. And to make matters worse, as the darkness lifted Kakashi noticed that he was now lying flat on his back, without any recollection of having fallen.

Determined not to give in, Kakashi tried to rise again. This time however, vertigo overtook him before he had even managed to raise himself one inch from the ground. He felt bile rise in his throat and tried his best to swallow it back down. Upon realising that he was fighting a losing battle, Kakashi rolled onto his side and lowered his mask. The amount of blood mixed in with the vomit intrigued him, as did the numb sensation spreading out from his wound.

The others were watching him with a mixture of disgust and incredulity. Yamato then knelt beside him, concern and fear etched onto his face. The ANBU seemed at a loss for words, which was fortunate as Kakashi wasn't sure he could have responded right now. Genma however, was clearly suffering from no such problem. His voice held a tone of genuine fury.

"What the hell were you thinking going in alone? This isn't some competition to see who dies first!"

Kakashi finally managed to find his voice, he smirked. "You're just saying that because you're losing."

Before it had sunk in that Genma seemed about ready to throttle him, Kakashi began to retch violently. This time the taste of blood was even stronger and the Jonin knew that he had to do something a bit more productive than simply lie there. He looked up at Genma once more and noticed that all of the anger had fallen away from his friend's face. But the Tokubetsu Jonin's voice was still brisk and uncharacteristically authoritative as he addressed Yamato.

"ANBU get medical training don't they? So do something useful already!"

There were only three people in the world that Yamato had ever taken orders from, the Third Hokage, the Fifth Hokage, and Kakashi himself. But on this occasion his former student seemed willing to make an exception. He reached for his med kit, although he was glaring at Genma as he did so. But when he turned back to Kakashi, the Jonin saw only distress and anguish in Yamato's eyes.

It was in his voice as well, "My medical ninjutsu's not at a high enough level to heal such a deep wound. I'll do what I can to stop the bleeding and then stitch it up, okay Senpai?" The normally collected ANBU seemed close to despair.

Kakashi nodded his head mutely, still not trusting himself to speak. He was more skilled at medical ninjutsu than Yamato, but any healing he managed to carry out himself would only make the situation worse. At least he was still conscious, he was not sure the same would be able to be said after suffering the increasingly severe repercussions of chakra use. So Kakashi just lay there and let the ANBU do what he could. He still intended to reach the Akatsuki's hideout by the end of the week, and get this nightmare over with as soon as possible.

But now they'd never know the origin of those mysterious thirty ninja. And as soon as he felt it safe to speak, Kakashi would be having sharp words with his team-mates about the importance of following instructions. But even now, he was starting to feel it would be a wasted effort. They'd just say they'd ignored the orders to save a comrade, just like he would've done. But this situation was different, the added risk of leaving one enemy alive was nothing compared to proceeding with no idea of who'd been out to get them and why. In fact, Kakashi's injury was the least of his worries right now. Mainly because he knew that upon reaching his destination, he'd be in for far worse.


	8. Survival

Chapter 8

Survival

Blinded by the darkness and deafened by the silence, fifty powerful ninja were being slowly reduced to nothing. One time, which seemed like an age ago now, they'd had courage, strength, even pride. Not once had they lived an honest life, and not once had they felt fear of their enemies. Until now. At one point or other each of their minds was cast to the other fifty, sent out in two groups on unknown missions, to unknown fates. Right now death would have been better than this torture. Waiting in the dark, breathing in the stifling, fear-filled air. Perhaps this was their punishment for a life of depravity. Perhaps it was true that to live without morals is to die without honour.

* * *

Yamato's heart rate was quickening with every step he took. ANBU were meant to be sharp, strong, and above all fearless. He was one of the best. So why would his heart not stop pounding? He wanted to have faith in their plan, faith in their power, and most of all faith in Kakashi, but the shape his Senpai was in was causing Yamato to lose confidence in the whole operation.

He had barely finished stitching him up when Kakashi had ordered them to move out. And when Genma and himself had tried to protest, the Jonin had simply started off on his own. So they'd had no choice but to follow and try to prevent Kakashi from injuring himself any further.

It was clear how much pain the Copy-Ninja was in simply from his rigid stance and tightly clenched fists. Also, each time they stopped for a short break Kakashi would sit with his back to them, and Yamato guessed that the Jonin wanted to hide his expression, which would have betrayed his suffering. His Senpai hadn't eaten all day either, probably because he knew he wouldn't be able to keep the food down with such a serious abdominal injury. But what was worse was that he absolutely refused to have his wound checked, saying that there was neither the time nor the necessity, when in reality there was both. Especially the latter as Yamato was sure that the condition of Kakashi's injury would have deteriorated after so many hours of non-stop running. But despite all this, the ANBU had observed no decline in the Copy-Ninja's speed. In fact, Kakashi had firmly ordered them to speed up to a pace that was well beyond the limits of what someone so badly injured should've been able to achieve.

His Senpai could act however he wanted. And if it suited him to hide his pain then he was welcome to do so. But the time would come when even the Copy-Ninja would not be able to defy the bounds of human endurance any longer. Kakashi had suffered severe internal as well as external damage, and, as usual, seemed not to give a damn. But Yamato knew that the Jonin felt this situation might end up working to their advantage. He wanted to appear weak to the Akatsuki so that they might underestimate him, and thus give them the chance they needed for their plan to succeed. But the Copy-Ninja had failed to realise that the reason the Akatsuki might mistake him for being seriously wounded was because he had been.

Yamato was abruptly brought out of his reverie by the object of his concern's clear, authoritative voice.

"We'll set up camp in three hours, when we reach the river flowing twenty-five Ri northeast of this point."

With that, his Senpai changed direction to the appropriate bearing and continued to run without any sign of relent. Even after all these years, Kakashi's sheer tenacity still amazed Yamato. After a while, Genma drew up alongside the ANBU and it was clear from his expression that the Tokubetsu Jonin shared his concern.

"He can't keep this up forever. That stubborn bastard needs to realise that even his body has its limits."

Yamato nodded. It wasn't quite how he would have put it, but he agreed with Genma's frank assessment. There was however one problem, "He'll never admit he needs a break. Eventually we're going to have to make it clear that we won't take no for an answer."

"Oh shit," Genma cursed.

Yamato followed his comrade's gaze to where Kakashi had just managed to regain his balance after nearly falling – something that the Copy-Ninja never did unless he was seriously hurt.

Genma turned back to Yamato, his eyes blazing. "I think eventually's just come." Then the bandana-wearing ninja increased his speed until he was level with Kakashi, and Yamato did the same.

Genma was the first to speak and his tone was as blunt as always. "We're stopping now, Kakashi. Feel free to keep running but we won't be joining you. Right Yamato?"

The ANBU sighed, wondering why the senbon-toting fool could never just handle situations delicately. "I think what Genma meant was that we all need a bit of a break and I really ought to check your wound sooner rather than later."

Kakashi rolled his eyes before saying with petulant resignation, "I'm not going to leave you both behind, so if you want a break then you'd better make it quick."

Genma made an indignant noise, but Yamato took this affirmative response positively. Maybe his Senpai had finally realised that permanently injuring himself would get them nowhere. Now he'd have a chance to see how much extra damage had been caused by Kakashi's obstinate attitude. And hopefully he might even be able to reverse some of it before they continued.

* * *

Kakashi was determinedly wearing his most bored expression as Yamato sat him down and began to check his latest wound. This stop was an undeniable waste of time. And there really wasn't enough time left to be wasted. His injury was not going to heal any quicker whether Yamato sat there prodding it or not. Kakashi knew that his former student had done his best, but somehow he doubted Tsunade would have been particularly impressed with the ANBU's medical abilities. It had taken him several tries before he'd managed to more or less stem the flow of blood using medical ninjutsu. But he'd at least stitched the wound up with relative skill. However after so many hours of running, the stitches had begun to loosen and blood was already seeping through. But there was no way Yamato's medical skills would have improved in the last few hours. So what was the point of doing anything at all? Instead they should be trying to arrive as soon as possible. Why was it that the others just couldn't understand that?

Kakashi was sharply brought back to the present as Yamato's gentle probing caused a spasm of pain to run through his body. And the Jonin knew that he'd completely failed to hide it. His breathing was irregular and a cold sweat had formed on his skin. But damn it, they could not afford to stop until they'd reached their destination! Gritting his teeth, Kakashi attempted to rise, but both Yamato and Genma's hands forced him back down. Normally such a thing would have presented no obstacle. It was getting increasingly difficult for Kakashi to convince himself that he'd been unaffected by his injury. But still, he had nothing to gain by accepting that he'd been weakened. If he told himself he was weak, then he'd have an excuse to act weak. Instead, if he continued to act like he was fine, he'd be stronger because of it.

Even Kakashi knew that such a line of argument would get him nowhere. Now of all times, he had to be realistic. He couldn't push himself to the point where he'd be physically unable to reach the Akatsuki's hideout. And so resignedly Kakashi allowed Yamato to resume the re-stitching of his wound, whilst trying to distance himself as much as possible from the pain that the damned thing was causing. Of course that wasn't his only injury. His body was riddled with wounds sustained during his battle against the Rogue Ninja. But the other injuries weren't nearly as bad. Although, that said, if he ever made it back to Konoha, Kakashi was pretty sure he'd be in for an unbearably protracted stay at the white-washed jail that was Konoha Hospital. And that was only taking into consideration his current state. He knew that the worst was far from over.

In fact, the more Kakashi thought about it, the more irritating his injury became. He'd wanted the Akatsuki to underestimate his intentions, as well as his capabilities. But such a plan would prove pointless if their assessment turned out to be accurate. Still, none of that would matter if they didn't get moving soon. The longer they took to reach the hideout, the better prepared the Akatsuki would be to carry out their own plan. It was difficult to retain an element of surprise when walking right into the enemy's clutches, but Kakashi was going to give it a try. In this situation, even arriving sooner than expected could turn things in their favour. Now all he had to do was explain that to the two idiots in front of him.

"If you're quite finished Yamato, we need to get going."

The ANBU's face was a shade paler than usual and he responded in a tight voice, "Senpai, I'm sorry but you really shouldn't do any more running today. The condition of your wound has deteriorated dangerously. We should set up camp here. Please, you have to rest."

Kakashi's frustration began to grow. "No, what I have to do right now is get to the Akatsuki's hideout while our plan still has any chance of working."

Genma then joined the argument. "Well it's hardly going to work if you're practically dead before we even get there."

"So let's get moving and arrive before that happens."

"It already has, you idiot!" "Will you two just break it up already?" By this point even Yamato was sounding pissed off. Kakashi noticed his former student take a deep, deliberate breath before continuing. "I know it's not what you originally planned, but I assume that you also didn't plan on having to fight thirty Rogue Ninja, so how about we just try and adapt to the situation at hand and rest here for the night?"

'Adapt to the situation at hand.' Yeah right, he'd heard that one before. Why was it that with each passing moment Yamato was sounding more and more like Minato-Sensei? Kakashi sighed, he was starting to tire of this whole discussion. In fact he was feeling pretty tired of everything right now. The sky had clouded over to the point that it was no longer possible to tell the time of day, and Kakashi felt as if he'd been running for forty-eight hours, not twelve. If he agreed to rest here for the night, it would only be on the condition that next morning, they'd run without stopping. Because tomorrow would be their final full day, after that, the end would be in sight. Reluctantly Kakashi said the words that he knew Yamato had been waiting to hear. "Fine. We'll stay here the night. But we're running non-stop tomorrow, understood?"

Yamato nodded hesitantly, and eventually Genma gave a consensual grunt. With that, Kakashi rose abruptly to his feet. He figured that the sooner they set up camp, the sooner they'd get to sleep and thus be able to rise earlier and set-off more quickly. The only problem was that this sudden movement had caused a wave of excruciating nausea to pass through his body, and that – on top of sheer physical exhaustion – meant Kakashi was fighting just to stay conscious. His vision started to blur and his body felt like a lead weight. He wasn't sure whether or not he'd been falling, but Kakashi sensed Yamato's strong arms guiding him slowly to the ground. And so, with his cares momentarily forgotten, Kakashi resigned himself to slumber.

* * *

Kisame smiled broadly, his pointed teeth glinting in the dim light cast by the sconces on the cavern walls. His fun for the day was about to begin. He wouldn't have minded sharing the enjoyment with Itachi but his partner had declined the offer. Kisame had to admit that he liked being teamed with the Uchiha. Sure the youth was a bit misanthropic, and never revealed what he was really thinking, but Kisame had a certain respect for the Rogue Ninja who had single-handedly annihilated his entire clan – well almost his entire clan. The soft spot that Itachi had for his younger brother was something Kisame would never understand. Bonds of family and comradeship meant nothing to the scourge of Kirigakure. The bond that he and Itachi shared was one of mutual respect and an acknowledgement of each other's strengths, as well as each other's weaknesses.

And one weakness of Itachi's that Kisame had long since acknowledged was the Uchiha's well concealed tender-hearted nature. It must have been his Konoha upbringing. Kisame found it quite ironic that some of the strongest ninja in history had hailed from a village with such a pathetic pacifist ideology. 'The Will of Fire'. Ha! What a joke. Back in Kirigakure the graduates-to-be were willing to murder their classmates, all for the sake of receiving a Mist-Headband. But even that practice had been discontinued. The world had gone soft.

But now was not the time to dwell on the decay of society. Kisame had slaughtering to do. The Akatsuki had taken one hundred prisoners from amongst the thousands of Rogue Ninja who roamed shinobi lands. The fifty strongest had been set aside to help further the Akatsuki's current objectives. And because he and Itachi had done the most work in capturing them, Kisame had been permitted to do as he pleased with the remaining fifty. He'd asked if his team-mate had wanted to share in the activity, but the stoic Uchiha had refused. Not that Kisame was complaining; it meant more fun for him.

The prisoners were cowering against the walls of the large cavern. Some were shielding their eyes, some were on their knees, but some – to Kisame's amusement – remained on their feet, a few even readying weapons. He couldn't decide whether to murder the bold ones first or save them for the end; then perhaps he'd be able to pretend that he was surrounded by something other than worthless scum. He was just about to make up his mind, when the boulder blocking the cave's entrance began to grind slowly back.

Light streamed into the dusky chamber and the prisoners began to raise their heads, hope dawning on their faces as if they thought that salvation had finally come. But when the new arrival stepped into the cavern, they shrank back and the sound of their pathetic whimpering asserted itself once more. Kisame tried not to seem too annoyed that his game had been interrupted.

"So you've changed your mind after all, Itachi. In that case you can help me decide which of these mice I should play with first."

"You misunderstand my intentions, Kisame. I simply came here to tell you that the Leader has summoned us."

At this, the blue-skinned ninja's annoyance grew. Why were these pointless gatherings always held at such inconvenient times?

His partner continued. "Zetsu has found the bodies of the thirty we sent out two days ago."

Kisame smirked. "So the Copy-Ninja has managed to kill them after all."

"Yes," Itachi replied calmly, "just as we knew he would. And just as he killed the twenty we sent out the first time."

Kisame was about to respond, when one of the prisoners made a sudden bid for freedom. In an instant the shark-like shinobi had caught up with him. The look of desperate determination was still imprinted on the Rogue Ninja's face, even though the rest of his body now lay a few metres away. With the remaining forty-nine ninja all cowering once more, Kisame returned to Itachi's side. Their discussion continued as the two left the cave. But the Akatsuki member's thoughts often wandered back to the amusing game that he'd been forced to postpone.

"So why did we send them in the first place if we knew that the Hatake could so easily kill them?"

Itachi looked at him as if to say, 'It's obvious you weren't listening,' before responding, "The first lot were sent out so that by the time we managed to introduce the poison into Kakashi's system, he would still not have a completely full supply of chakra. When I was teamed with him in the ANBU, the Hatake never once waited until he was fully healed before accepting the next mission. And the poison is designed to defuse more completely into the Keirakukei if there is less chakra already circulating."

Kisame nodded slowly, that seemed to make sense, "But what about the next thirty?" he asked dubiously.

Itachi seemed more patient with his response this time, perhaps he was even a little complacent over his plan's success. But then again, knowing Itachi, he was probably just being analytical. "They served multiple purposes. Firstly, they increased the chance of the Copy-Ninja being weaker than usual when he arrives. Secondly, they helped us to ascertain whether he had others travelling with him. And finally, they gave rise to the possibility that Kakashi would be injured and thus take longer to reach us."

Kisame pondered his partner's response for a few moments. It seemed good in theory but he still wondered, "Did it work?"

This time Itachi allowed himself a small smile. "Better than any of us expected actually. It seems that once again my genjutsu has managed to keep our tools focussed on their task. However, Zetsu found that some of the Rogue Ninja had been dispatched with senbon, and others with Mokuton techniques. This makes it almost certain that Kakashi's current companions are the Tokubetsu Jonin Genma Shiranui and the ANBU Tenzo. And on top of that, enough of his blood was found at the scene to suggest that the Copy-Ninja has been seriously wounded. And he was clearly not using chakra, as the majority of the Rogue Ninja died from Katana wounds. That means that Kakashi will be in no shape to reach us in the next few days, and when he does arrive he will be physically weakened but have plenty of chakra for us to utilise in the final stage of our plan."

Kisame gave a toothy grin, glad that everything was proceeding so perfectly. But he had one more question, "What was our final stage again?"

Itachi smirked. "Even you couldn't possibly have forgotten that."

They reached the door to the Akatsuki's meeting hall and as they stepped inside the Leader's stern glare greeted them. Steadily the final phase of their plan came back to him, and Kisame's grin widened.

He turned to his partner. "No, I remember it now. How could I ever have forgotten the best part?"

His sinister laughter caused quizzical glances from his Brothers, but Kisame didn't care. His fun with the prisoners was nothing compared to the entertainment he'd receive when Kakashi finally reached them. In spite of the insufferable people and the tedious commands, Kisame couldn't deny that it was good to be a member of the Akatsuki.

* * *

Kakashi had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, but by the feel of the air, it was now the middle of the night so if he had to guess he'd say it'd been about seven hours. He heard Genma and Yamato conversing in hushed, urgent voices, and decided not to let on that he was awake.

"This is bad. He still hasn't woken up." Yamato's voice sounded worried as usual.

"Well what d'you expect? Between the poison and running injured for twelve hours, I'd be surprised if he wakes up before morning." Genma sounded fairly bored with the whole conversation.

"If he shows up at the Akatsuki's hideout like this he's going to get himself killed. We've got to do something."

Genma's voice dropped further. "You're not suggesting Plan B, are you?"

Kakashi lay completely still and kept his breathing steady. He just hoped that the others wouldn't be able to sense the rapid beating of his heart. Yamato continued, and fortunately, for the moment, Kakashi remained unnoticed.

"What choice do we have?" The ANBU sounded close to despair.

"I suppose you might be right. I want to trust the idiot, but I don't think even he thought he'd get hurt this badly."

Yamato's voice darkened. "It should have been me."

Genma's response was laced with scorn. "Oh for Gods' sakes, grow up! If it'd been you we would've had to call off the entire mission. Kakashi doesn't mind running himself to death but he'd never have carried on if you'd been even half as badly injured as he is."

Kakashi smiled silently at how well his friends knew him. But Yamato still sounded distressed.

"I don't like the idea of lying to him."

"But can I assume you'd prefer it to the idea of him dying?" asked Genma, clearly losing patience.

"Obviously. But I wouldn't even know where to find Asuma. He should've caught up with us by now."

"Okay, so when you tell Kakashi you've gone to look for him, it won't technically be a lie."

The discussion continued, and with each word his comrades uttered Kakashi grew more awake. And by the time morning came, he was lying there with a feeling of complete incredulity. But at least he now knew exactly what he had to do. The stakes had just risen almost insurmountably. And Kakashi could hardly believe what his friends had planned. Slowly and with some difficulty he sat up.

Genma looked over at him from the position he'd been occupying all night. "So you're finally awake."

Yamato got up and crossed to his side. "How are you feeling Senpai?"

Kakashi smirked. "It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for you."

Yamato gave a slight smile in return. "That's a relief." His face then grew serious. "We need to talk."

Kakashi sighed and sat up further, trying to ignore the intense pain caused by even this slightest of movements. He'd have to concentrate hard if he wanted to keep his façade of ignorance in place. "Go ahead," he said simply.

"I'm worried about Asuma. He should have caught up with us by now. I doubt he's far behind but I want to try and find him."

Kakashi shrugged. "That's fine. But we're not waiting for you here. You'll have to catch us up by the entrance to the final valley where there's more cover."

Slowly and lethargically, Genma rose to join them. He too was acting as if the conversation last night had never happened. "Just make sure you don't take too long. We can't wait in that valley forever, it leads right to the hideout and they'll probably be posting lookouts there soon."

Yamato nodded his agreement but Kakashi remained still. He did not reveal that in fact he had no intention of waiting there at all. At last his mind was made up. And with his final plan in place, the Copy-Ninja rose to his feet. Neither pain nor exhaustion would stand in his way, and only death could stop him now. From here on out, Kakashi knew it was all or nothing.


	9. Contingency

Chapter 9

Contingency

It can be difficult to carry out a deception, to fool the ones closest to you. The people in whom you confide ought to be the ones who know you best. Pulling the wool over their eyes is never an easy task. Ninja must learn to see through deception. But at the same time, they are taught to trick, mislead, and above all deceive those from whom their plans must be kept secret. This undertaking can never be called simple, but often it is necessary. There are times when even the most trustworthy companions must be kept in the dark. Because the task of protecting them is more important than anything else.

* * *

Yamato had lost count of the hours since he'd started running. All that mattered now was getting to the base as quickly as possible. He wished that he didn't have to resort to this, but Tsunade had ordered him to switch to Plan B if it became necessary. And with Kakashi so badly wounded and Asuma nowhere in sight, it had definitely become necessary. There was no point in hoping that Kakashi wouldn't figure out what he was doing, but if Genma played his part correctly, then his Senpai wouldn't be able to stop them from coming to his aid.

Although, that said, where Kakashi was concerned, nothing ever really turned out as planned. Yamato could only pray that he would arrive in time to save his Senpai from what would otherwise be suicide. Why did Kakashi-Senpai always seem so hell-bent on getting himself killed?

As Yamato ran, he thought about all of the occasions on which Kakashi had come to his rescue. Maybe this time he'd actually be able to reciprocate in some small way. But this all relied on Genma carrying out his assigned task. It wasn't that he didn't trust the bandana-wearing Tokubetsu Jonin. It was just that – like Kakashi – Genma had a tendency to do whatever the hell he wanted when the current plan wasn't working for him. But he was also similar to Kakashi in that protecting his comrades was his primary concern. Still, there was a certain something about the honey-haired amber-eyed shinobi. Yamato could never tell whether that sarcastic smirk, condescending raised eyebrow and perpetually bobbing senbon was infuriating or enticing.

The ANBU shuddered at that thought, and further increased his speed. He decided that reflecting on the mission was just slowing him down, so Yamato cleared his mind and focused only on his destination. And he had to focus pretty hard. The ANBU outpost was invisible even with the use of dojutsu. Only those with the ANBU tattoo could sense its location, and even then it was easy to miss.

In fact, when the first minute tendril of chakra found him, Yamato almost didn't notice. He then stood completely still, making sure that the gossamer-thin chakra thread was engaged, before proceeding to follow in the direction that it was leading him. Slowly the sensation grew stronger and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the first ANBU patrol met him. Then, sure enough, a moment later Yamato heard a voice coming from somewhere above him.

"Tenzo-san, we were hoping you would come."

The ANBU who had just spoken jumped down from the tree above Yamato's head; he then landed in front of him and bowed his head in respectful greeting. Yamato did the same, even as he chastised himself for not having noticed the ANBU's concealed presence sooner. At least it meant that Lady Tsunade had been telling the truth when she'd said she would send her best Operatives.

Yamato instinctively assumed the stern, no-nonsense voice that he always used when dealing with fellow ANBU – especially ones to whom he considered himself superior. "I suppose the Hokage has informed you of the situation. But then you shouldn't be pleased to see me, as it means we've had to resort to Plan B."

"Of course not," the young Operative replied, his expression perfectly blank. "However, circumstances have arisen since our briefing that we felt you needed to be informed of. Naturally I wasn't implying that your failure to carry out the initial plan was a good thing."

Yamato decided that he definitely did not like this ANBU's tone. The Operative must barely have been in his teens, judging by his stature and the timbre of his voice. Konoha was recruiting them younger and younger these days. It was true that Kakashi had joined the ANBU at thirteen and he himself at fifteen, but still, back then the younger members would never have made such an impudent remark. Although he couldn't really fault the ninja's logic. Technically speaking, they were moving on to Plan B because Plan A was now sure to fail. With effort, Yamato managed to keep from sighing aloud.

"What do you mean by circumstances?" he asked.

The diminutive ANBU was silent for a moment, before saying, "I think you'd better come inside. My Senpai will explain the situation."

With that, the Operative made a gesture as if to say, 'follow me,' but Yamato did not need to be told where to go. He walked ahead of the boy to where the base's entrance was beginning to materialise. Saying as he did so, "This isn't my first time here you know."

A voice responded from the deep tunnel leading into the underground base, "Well let's just hope it won't be your last."

There was something almost melodious in that gracefully sardonic tone, which carried a hint of lasting grief. Yamato stepped into the tunnel and soon found himself face-to-face with another of Kakashi-Senpai's former students, Yugao Uzuki. She stood a fair few inches shorter than himself and her flowing amethyst hair framed her sleek sinuous form. She was flanked by two more ANBU, both male, but of the same childlike stature as the one now standing beside him.

Yamato gave a half smile as he greeted his comrade. "Are these kids under your charge, Yugao? If you were short on cash you should have said something. You didn't need to take up babysitting."

This elicited a few low growls from the three tiny ANBU. And Yamato almost laughed when he found himself comparing them to his Senpai.

"Don't be rude, Tenzo. These are my students. Shippuu and Gufuu," she indicated the two standing beside her, "and that's Tsukikage." Yugao nodded towards the one next to Yamato.

The elder ANBU smiled sadly. "So I take it you chose their codenames yourself."

Yugao nodded mutely. Shippuu and Gufuu were synonyms for Hayate, and Tsukikage meant Gekko. Feeling a sudden need to change the subject, Yamato decided to bring the discussion back to the matter at hand. "What's the situation in the village? Tsukikage said that there had been an unforeseen occurrence."

Yugao removed her mask, and fear as well as anger was evident on her beautiful face. "That's one way of putting it," she responded in a bitter voice. "In short, Danzo's used Kakashi-Senpai's departure as grounds for launching a takeover."

"What! That's insane!"

"It gets worse," she continued. "After somehow tricking the Daimyo into giving his official consent; the bastard's begun his own version of martial law. Any shinobi who protest are being quarantined inside the village. If it wasn't for Lady Tsunade, there would have been a full-scale rebellion. She's told most of the people, through Katsuyu-Sama, that only the Jonin Vote can make it truly official, and not to take drastic or reckless action. The Vote's in two weeks, and I'm sure he's planning on rigging it in some way. Meanwhile, he's been telling everyone that Kakashi-Senpai has joined the Akatsuki. I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life!"

Yamato was stunned. And it was taking every ounce of his self control not to simply sink to the ground. He never could have guessed that things would go so horribly wrong, But there was nothing he could do about that right now. His current task was to initiate Plan B before it was too late. The ANBU took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, before meeting the eyes of his former team-mate. "How many do you have? Don't tell me it's just the four of you."

Yugao rolled her eyes. "Obviously not. There're twenty of us in total. Twenty-one including you."

"Will that be enough?" Yamato's tone was sceptical.

Tsukikage answered the question in a steady voice. "That all depends on what you hope to achieve, Tenzo-san. I think between us we'll manage to make one hell of a distraction – if nothing else."

Confident, aloof and calm even when discussing the likelihood of his own death. Obviously Yugao had already begun passing down the teachings of their Senpai. With that, Yamato's mind went back to Kakashi. "How able is your med-team?" he asked anxiously.

"The best," Replied Yugao simply.

"And how much has the Hokage told you?"

"Only that we might be required to go up against the Akatsuki in order to save Kakashi-Senpai. And that he won't have been informed of our arrival."

Yamato nodded. "Good. And one final question. Do you have any idea what's happened to Asuma?"

Yugao's gaze intensified. "That's another thing I was going to tell you. Lady Tsunade said he would be travelling with you after he'd completed a B-rank mission with his team. Our Yamanaka at the base used Shintenshin on one of Konoha's falcons and verified that Asuma Sarutobi has entered the village. But that was three days ago now, and he hasn't been seen since."

Yamato groaned. Things were going from bad to worse to utterly disastrous. Obviously Asuma had been delayed in some way, but with Danzo apparently in charge, the nature of that delay concerned him greatly. Unless he'd abandoned the mission but as he was one of Kakashi's comrades and oldest friends such a thing was highly unlikely. Still, if he hadn't left in three days then it was probable that Asuma wouldn't be joining them at all, for whatever reason. So they'd just have to proceed without him. Yugao's quiet, concerned voice cut through Yamato's spiralling thoughts.

"Why did you ask about the med-team? Is someone hurt?"

He'd wanted to fill her in on the details after they'd set off, as they really didn't have any time to lose, but the all too familiar glint in her eye told Yamato that Yugao Uzuki was not going anywhere until she got an answer. He sighed. "Kakashi-Senpai decided it would be a good idea for him to fight thirty Rogue Ninja by himself."

"What!"

"I don't have time to go into all of the details, but long story short he's got a pretty serious abdominal wound, as well as many superficial injuries, and is refusing to slow his pace or rest."

"So the usual situation then." She smiled wryly.

"Essentially. Although, I haven't seen him this badly wounded in a while; or with such a serious task still ahead of him."

Yugao sighed. "Fine, if it's Kakashi-Senpai's safety at risk then we'll leave straight away, but I expect a full explanation while we're travelling. Agreed?" the kunoichi's tone brooked no argument.

"Agreed," said Yamato in a resigned voice.

His only hope now was that they'd reach Kakashi in time, before that foolhardy genius ended up hurting himself even more.

* * *

It'd been eight hours now and Genma still thought the pace they were running at was absurd. He didn't know why Kakashi was in such a hurry; at this rate they were going to reach the hideout too quickly. In a perverse way, Genma hoped the idiot would faint from exhaustion just so that the ANBU squad would have a better chance of catching up with them. The Hokage had made it inescapably clear that – in the event of switching to Plan B – they must not reach their destination before the ANBU had joined them. In fact, she'd even said that if worst came to worst Genma should resort to drastic measures in order to ensure Plan B didn't fail. But in light of Kakashi's current attitude, Genma wasn't so sure that 'drastic measures' would be enough.

He thought that when they set up camp, the Jonin might allow his exhaustion to show. There was no doubt that he was feeling it, but Kakashi seemed determined not to let on just how close to losing consciousness he really was. And it was starting to get on Genma's nerves.

Eventually he decided that he simply couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Just admit it already!"

"Hmm…?" Kakashi only half looked up from where he seemed engrossed in arranging the bedrolls.

Genma glared at him. "Well, let me see… You're hurt, you're exhausted, and if you put off eating for much longer you're probably going to pass out. Admitting any one of those things would be a good start."

This time Kakashi actually raised his head and Genma had a full view of the would-be withering look directed at him. But after being friends with the Copy-Ninja for so long, such things no longer affected him. Then, without a word, Kakashi lay down as if he were preparing to sleep.

"So we're not eating then?"

"You can if you want. I'll have breakfast. But right now, as you can see, I'm going to bed." The Jonin then resumed his position of repose.

But Genma wasn't ready to finish the discussion just yet. "What's the rush?" he asked in an affectedly offhand manner.

"The sooner we get to sleep, the sooner we wake up."

Genma raised an eyebrow at this comment. Well if that was the case then his only hope of delaying their arrival would be to keep Kakashi awake all night. "Interesting logic. I don't suppose it works in reverse." He tried to make his tone scornful enough to mask the sincerity of the question.

"No. We set off at dawn. So if you want to sleep tonight, I suggest you don't take too long over dinner."

It was almost as if Kakashi knew that Genma was trying to delay him. He was about to question the Jonin further, but when Genma looked over at him, Kakashi seemed like he was already asleep. He knew that the insufferable fool was able to enter a state of deep meditation at will, and so could essentially sleep on cue if he chose to. But Genma was also aware that a ninja of Kakashi's level would have no trouble feigning sleep. However, the only thing that the Tokubetsu Jonin was sure of was that – whether awake or asleep – Kakashi was not going to be answering any more questions tonight.

The minutes stretched into hours and all the time Genma lay awake wondering how on Earth he was supposed to prevent Plan B from failing. As his despair began to grow, Genma bit down harder on his senbon. He jumped as the needle snapped. He then let out a frustrated groan. Couldn't he even chew a senbon without it turning into a catastrophe? Resentfully Genma spat the shards of wood from his mouth and withdrew another senbon from his pack. He eyed the thin needle speculatively. Then slowly, an idea came to him. One that would undoubtedly be regarded as a drastic measure.

If he could just keep Kakashi sedated until the ANBU arrived, it would remove the problem of having to contend with the idiot's stubbornness altogether. He wouldn't use his strongest sedative, just one potent enough to keep him out for around eighteen hours. That ought to give Yamato all the time he needed to catch up. Genma had to move quickly, it would be morning soon and Kakashi was bound to wake up before sunrise.

As he coated the senbon, Genma tried to swallow his guilt and still his shaking hands. Not quite believing what he was about to do, he raised the primed needle and moved as close as he could to the Jonin's sleeping form. Genma stifled a gasp as he was greeted by the sight of Kakashi's obsidian eye, open. He was too late. The Tokubetsu Jonin quickly tossed the senbon out of sight, praying that Kakashi hadn't realised what he'd been about to do. But if he had noticed, then he certainly wasn't showing it. Kakashi leered up at him. And Genma promptly realised that he was practically straddling his now conscious friend.

Kakashi's exhausted yet insinuating voice showed that he'd clearly noticed this as well. "It's morning already. If you'd wanted to share a bed with me you should've said something earlier."

Genma smiled ruefully. "Does that mean I've missed my chance?" His disappointed tone sounded genuine enough, he had missed his chance. And the whole mission was going to suffer because of it.

Kakashi smirked. "Maybe next time." He then began packing up his bedroll before turning attention to the rest of the makeshift campsite. "Let's be cleared up and out of here in half an hour. Today's the last day." The Copy-Ninja's voice seemed almost to catch as he uttered that final sentence.

With a heavy sigh, Genma joined in the preparations and before long, they were running once more. This time, their destination was the valley that led to the Akatsuki's hideout. And Genma knew that once they reached it, there would be no turning back. And now all that was left was the fading hope that the ANBU would arrive before Kakashi got himself killed.

As he ran, the scenery slowly began to change. Verdant hills gave way to rocky outcrops and eventually Genma found himself in a vast, mountainous desert. Some of the boulders strewn haphazardly over the landscape were ash coloured and others were bright crimson. About an hour after entering the desert, Genma was able to see the final valley ahead of him. The towering cliffs on either side were a deep blood red, and the sheer immensity of them rendered their height completely unquantifiable. The entire valley was cast in shadow, but even so, the minerals embedded in the rock walls flickered surreptitiously as the dim light reflected off their surface. Genma took a deep breath. "This is it," he murmured to himself.

Upon entering the final valley, the first thing they decided to do was to scout around and make sure that they weren't being watched. As per his own suggestion, Genma went ahead while Kakashi scanned nearer the entrance. Maybe he'd be able to spot – or at least pretend to spot – some lookouts further in. Then surely they'd have to stop and discuss how best to proceed unnoticed. Perhaps they'd even be forced to wait for the cover of darkness in order to pass through the valley without being detected. Hopefully Yamato would be able to reach them by then.

Genma looked back with vague anticipation as if expecting to see the troop of ANBU already on the horizon. But because of the winding nature of the valley, he could no longer even see the entrance, or Kakashi. But then, as if summoned by this thought, the Copy-Ninja appeared from around the corner of one of the cliff's jagged outcroppings. And it took Genma only a split second to realise that something was horribly wrong.

Kakashi was walking with an unsteady, halting gait, as if he couldn't see where he was going. Once or twice he nearly fell but managed to regain his balance. His right hand was pressed to his forehead, as often it had been over the last few days when the Jonin had seemed to think no one was watching. But what terrified Genma the most was the raw, blind agony etched onto the Copy-Ninja's face, even as he staggered towards where the Tokubetsu Jonin stood stunned.

Then suddenly this expression faded, Kakashi's eyes closed and his hand fell limply to his side. Then his whole body began to fall and Genma rushed forward to catch him before he hit the ground. Kakashi's skin was cold and covered in sweat, and his face was a deathly ashen hue. What the hell had just happened? Genma had to assume that finally injury and exhaustion had caught up with the Jonin. He couldn't think of any other explanation, there were no signs of any wounds not present before, and he hadn't heard any sound of a disturbance from the mouth of the valley.

After a few minutes of simply staring at his unconscious friend with mild disbelief – and thus confirming that he would not be waking up any time soon – Genma decided they should move to the nearest place with at least moderate coverage. This happened to be under the shade of a few sparse trees protruding from the rocky cliff face. After carrying his friend's body to the partially concealed area at the base of the cliff, Genma carefully laid Kakashi's head in his lap and tried to analyse where this new twist might take them. After a while he decided to abandon the plan of using a potent sedative on his closest friend. Genma told himself that it was because he didn't know what the effect of introducing another component alongside the poison might be – and nothing to do with any personal feelings he might have towards the reckless fool.

Hours passed and still the Copy-Ninja showed no sign of stirring. But Genma wasn't taking any notice of the time. His attention was firmly fixed upon Kakashi's pale, lifeless form. Occasionally Genma would find himself involuntarily running a hand through the Jonin's sleek plume of silver hair. And, after a while – although he couldn't be sure exactly when it had started – he began to speak to his unconscious friend.

"You know I don't blame you. Not for any of this. Not for the situation we're in now, and definitely not for what happened with that bastard Danzo. But of course you've decided to blame yourself, as always."

Genma found it strangely liberating to be able to talk freely to Kakashi, without worrying about being taken too seriously, or not seriously enough. And so, with his previous anger and annoyance fading, he continued.

"I've got no idea how it'd feel to have so many S-rank ninja after me. But all I know is it wouldn't've been my fault, just like it isn't yours. You didn't ask for this, and you didn't ask me to come with you. All of us, me, Yamato, and Asuma – wherever the hell he is – we all chose to come because you'd do the same for us. It's because, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but it's because we love you."

Genma chuckled dryly to himself for a moment.

"It's funny… I'm just imagining what Asuma would say if he heard me now. You know they all tease me saying I think of you as more than a friend. Obviously I tell them where they can stick their pathetic opinions. But sometimes it makes me wonder. What would you say if I ever did suggest we became more than friends…"

For a few seconds, which may as well have been years, silence prevailed. But then Kakashi's painfully exhausted voice drifted up from where his head was still cushioned in Genma's lap. He uttered three simple words.

"I want to…"

Genma's heart missed a beat. There was no doubt about it, he must have misheard. But Kakashi repeated himself, as he struggled to sit up. "I want to… reach the Akatsuki's hideout… by sunrise."

Genma slowly released the breath that he'd unconsciously been holding. "Of course," he whispered almost inaudibly and then turned to his friend, pulling himself together as he did so. "Wait… You can't even walk, you idiot!"

It was obvious that Kakashi was still in pain, even as Genma helped him into a seated position. But his tone was resolute nonetheless.

"I made it here, didn't I?"

Genma smiled slightly. "I meant without passing out."

Kakashi smirked in response. "Oh, right."

Then Genma's face grew serious. "Well I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what on Earth happened back there. And you're clearly not going anywhere without my help."

The Jonin gave an exaggerated sigh and Genma chuckled. But in spite of this, he was seriously worried about the state Kakashi was in. And the Jonin's paltry explanation did nothing to allay his concerns.

"Nothing happened. I was looking for scouts and then I got a bit of a headache. That's all."

Genma responded in a voice heavily coated with sarcasm. "And I suppose you think it's normal to be unconscious for five hours after getting 'a bit of a headache'?"

Kakashi shrugged and, with obvious difficulty, stood up. "Okay, so maybe it was more like a migraine. But I'm fine now so let's just finish what we started here. We can't wait for Asuma and Yamato anymore. They're taking too long. We're lucky that scouts haven't been posted here already."

Genma was running out of ways to delay their arrival any further. Why had the others not come yet? Should he tell Kakashi the plan just so that the obstinate fool could understand that heading towards certain death wasn't his only option? But Kakashi spoke before he got the chance to.

"Genma, I really need you to trust me right now. I have a feeling that the others won't be joining us any time soon. I have a plan and I need you to follow me."

For a moment Genma wondered if the enigmatic Jonin had been on to them all along. He also wondered if there'd been more to his 'migraine' than met the eye. But his friend had never once let him down in all the years they'd known each other. Sure, it was sometimes difficult to put his life in the hands of a man who seemed to have a permanent death wish. But Genma had to admit, if there was anyone in this world whom he could implicitly trust, it was Kakashi Hatake.

Slowly he sighed, trying to dispel his lingering doubts. "Okay. I'm in."

Kakashi gave a small smile before beginning to explain the new plan. And all the while Genma silently prayed that he hadn't made a terrible mistake.


	10. Arrival

Chapter 10

Arrival

The emotionless Operatives had been on guard for hours. They were the best in the entire organisation. That was not arrogance; it was factuality. Their presence was concealed to the extent that their very existence had become dubious. And as expected, their target did not notice them. By the time that the dart – coated with a powerful sedative – had been released, it was already too late to prevent it from hitting. Their target fell to the ground and they went to collect him. Sedation had been a necessary precaution. Mainly because the mind that they'd been ordered to infiltrate belonged to a highly dangerous shinobi: the son of a former Hokage.

* * *

Asuma woke in a stifling, dank room, with no recollection of how he'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered was entering the village in a hurry to submit the report from his team's painfully monotonous B-rank escort mission. Shikamaru, Ino and Choji had gone straight to Yakiniku Q to celebrate another successfully completed assignment. And Asuma had told them that he – along with his wallet – would be joining them soon. Then he'd headed in the direction of the Hokage Tower Missions' Wing. The final memory he had was of the sturdy familiar building, the playhouse of his childhood, coming into view. After that, there'd been nothing but darkness.

The first sense to fully return to him was his sense of smell. The room was rife with the overpowering stench of sweat and excrement. And with mounting disgust, Asuma realised that it was his own. He must have been here unconscious for days. Next came his sense of touch. He could feel cold metal pressing against his wrists and ankles and an unrelenting stone wall behind him. This was not good. Had he been captured by an enemy?

As his hearing returned, Asuma quickly ruled out that option. He was able to catch vague snatches of conversation. And from what he heard, the Jonin deduced his captors' deference to a certain Konoha shinobi whom they referred to as "our Lord," and their appreciation of the convenient new interrogation cells built beneath Hokage Tower – in the last few days no less. Obviously someone had been in a hurry to extend their hospitality to him – and whoever else was currently being held in confinement beneath the Leaf Village's iconic tower of freedom. These shinobi must have been quite skilled to be able to build an entire detainment facility so quickly under a pre-existing structure. Either that or the punishment for failure had provided rather effective motivation. Asuma then wondered who this 'Lord' might be. Needless to say, he had his suspicions.

Finally the Jonin's vision began to clear, and these suspicions were promptly confirmed. The aforementioned Lord had just entered the room. That vile, treacherous, cantankerous Lord.

"Danzo!" His name was like poison in Asuma's mouth.

"Asuma Sarutobi. What would your father say if he could see you now?"

"He'd probably ask you what the hell you're doing in his hat," responded the Jonin through gritted teeth.

Danzo's face remained firmly passive. "He never was the brightest of shinobi, but I assume even he would've been able to work that one out."

"Impossible," Asuma stated with blunt aggression.

He watched the bastard trying to suppress a smirk.

"Apparently not." Danzo's tone held more than a touch of complacency.

There was no way that this bastard could've become Hokage practically overnight. No one would ever accept it. Least of all Tsunade. Asuma added this to his growing list of things that were making absolutely no sense right now. Also high on that list was what on Earth he was doing in Root captivity. All Asuma could do was hope that this was some twisted nightmare. He wanted to wake up, return to the village to submit his report and finally be able to catch up with Kakashi.

It was then that the Jonin began to understand the true reason behind his confinement. Danzo must've been trying to get information out of him pertaining to Kakashi's whereabouts. But he was not going to reveal even a single detail to that scumbag – and no amount of torture would change that.

"I know what you're doing," stated Asuma defiantly after a minute of complete silence. "And you'll never get anything out of me."

This time Danzo smirked in full. "I thought you might take that attitude. That's why we took the liberty of extracting all the details we needed via genjutsu. Of course nothing nearly as strong as a Mind-Scrape was required, in fact it's almost disappointing how easily the information was obtained."

There was no way. He was a Jonin. One of the best. How could he have fallen for a mere genjutsu? Granted, Root had some talented Operatives. And he hadn't really been concentrating on anything other than getting his report filed as quickly as possible when they'd likely struck. But still, he refused to believe that a Jonin of his level could be so easily tricked. Sadly though, the next words uttered by one of the Operatives left very few other possibilities.

"Apparently the Akatsuki hideout is eight hundred and fifteen Ri north-north-west of the northernmost point on Konoha's border."

"Interesting," Danzo responded in an unemotional voice.

Asuma clenched his fists as the Operative continued.

"It seems that they'd intended to arrive there within a week. And they left six days ago."

The bandaged shinobi nodded slowly. "So perhaps they've arrived already. But we cannot trust all the information we've been given. Even he," Danzo indicated Asuma, "may not have been told the true plan. The Copy-Ninja could be in league with the Akatsuki after all. In which case, the only appropriate course of action would be to terminate him, and the rest of that unruly organisation."

The Operative nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

Asuma snarled. "If you so much as touch Kakashi, I'll kill you."

Danzo raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "I highly doubt that. Although you will be coming with us. You'll serve as a bargaining chip if needs be. Because even if the Hatake has abandoned his village, something tells me that he won't so easily be able to betray his comrades."

The Jonin didn't respond. Whatever was going on, both in the village and wherever Kakashi was, at least he'd be reunited with his friends – one way or another. But still, Asuma swore at that moment to get revenge on Danzo, even if it was simply for having the hubris to wear his father's hat.

* * *

"Symptoms," Yugao demanded, as the captain of the med-team readied a notebook beside her.

Yamato ran through all the details and effects of Kakashi's injury in his mind before giving his firm response. "A severe abdominal wound resulting in grade-three blood loss, haematemesis, nausea, disorientation, periodic loss of consciousness…" Yamato glanced up at Yugao's pale face. "Should I continue?" he asked mildly.

The ANBU medic answered. "I think that's all the information we need for now, Tenzo-san."

Yugao nodded. "It's certainly enough to know that an increase in pace is required."

Yamato smiled dryly as he, along with the rest of the ANBU squad, began to run as if their lives – or rather the life of his Senpai – depended on it. And in the meantime Yamato could only hope that it didn't.

Despite their increased speed, Yamato and Yugao managed to maintain their conversation, the latter asking an endless stream of questions about her Senpai's mission. With her former team-mate trying to answer them as best he could, bearing in mind what he thought Kakashi might not wish to be revealed.

"So if this is Plan B, then what was Plan A?"

"Does it really matter?" responded Yamato, his patience wearing thin. "We've had to abort it. It's no longer important."

"You know that's really not very helpf-" she broke off, and when Yamato looked up he quickly realised why.

In front of them, where the entrance to the final valley should have been, there was a semi-translucent towering wall, fully sealing the gap between the two cliffs. It was a shocking, florescent turquoise, so radiant that it was almost painful to look at. Yamato had only ever seen such a vivid azure hue in one other place. And that was when it'd been held defiantly in the hand of his Senpai.

With panic exploding in his chest, he broke away from the group and sprinted to the foot of the barrier. Then the stricken ANBU sank to his knees in front of the lightning-wall and shouted profanities to the heavens in a sky-splitting voice. Half a minute later, Yugao caught up with him.

"This can't be what I think it is!" she exclaimed in an awed tone.

With immense effort Yamato pulled himself together enough to respond, his voice was subdued and held an emotionless edge to it. "Well it is. Kakashi-Senpai has refused our aid. It's all over."

"Don't you think you're being just a touch melodramatic, Tenzo?"

The normally calm ANBU did nothing to try and hide his anger. "Well what do you think? We've come here with a full squad of ANBU ready to fight alongside Kakashi, and he's decided to turn it into his own private suicide mission! No amount of chakra, and no amount of skill will be enough to break this barrier. And he's on the other side of it, half-dead already, having tricked us all into thinking that we might actually be able to help him!"

"Calm down!" Yugao replied harshly. "We'll wait here. If the barrier disappears we'll go in. Until then there's nothing else we can do."

"I know that!" came Yamato's stern retort. But when he saw the tinge of desperation colouring Yugao's steely gaze, he felt a brief pang of guilt and his voice softened slightly. "Unfortunately, we need to be realistic. This barrier is completely impregnable. There's only one way that a jutsu of this calibre can be undone."

Yugao looked at him steadily, her fists clenched, unshed tears shining in her eyes. She then whispered the words that Yamato had barely even dared to think. "The death of the one who cast it."

* * *

Kakashi hadn't felt this out of it in a while, and that was saying something. Of course he could normally either conceal, or completely ignore exhaustion. And he was more than used to feeling the effects of chakra drain, but this time things were different. His body felt weighed to the ground by a force ten times stronger than gravity. That part he was used to. He knew all too well the pain and effort of even the slightest movement when he was this low on chakra. What he wasn't used to however, was this intense unrelenting nausea. Every motion, every breath, made his head spin and his stomach protest violently.

He could no longer recall the last time he'd eaten, and tried not to think about it. Even the thought of food was making the Jonin want to throw up. It was clear that this was the next – and probably final – stage of the poison's backlash. His body felt like it was being pulled inside-out, torn apart, and each of his internal systems seemed as if they were slowly grinding to a halt. One moment Kakashi's skin was ice cold, the next he felt as though he were being burnt alive. His vision came in flashes and for moments at a time his mind would go completely blank, causing him to forget what the hell he was even doing there. Somewhere within his subconscious, a voice was telling Kakashi that, slowly but surely, he was dying.

"Shit!" he swore after a momentary blackout nearly caused him to lose his footing.

Genma was at his side in an instant. Neither of them spoke, but the Tokubetsu Jonin placed a hand on his shoulder, as if to steady him. Kakashi was glad that his stubborn friend had finally accepted that they would not be taking any breaks for the short remainder of the journey. Because the Copy-Ninja knew that if he rested now, he might never get up again.

After only a minute, they set off once more and Kakashi was thankful for Genma's silence. He wouldn't have wanted to try and make conversation right now. While they were in motion, the Jonin was sure that bile would come more readily to his throat than words. But in spite of all this, Kakashi did not regret his actions. All he had to do was make it to the hideout alive, and stay alive until Genma was safe. He had already taken care of Yamato and the ANBU that he'd undoubtedly gone to fetch. Kakashi tried not to feel bitter about his friends and the Hokage having made a secret Plan B. It might end up working to his advantage. Or at least that's what Kakashi was determinedly telling himself. This was nothing more than one of the hundreds of possible outcomes that he'd accounted for. And he'd already set up his counter-measure.

Asuma was still a bit of a wildcard, but even if he did reach them, surely he'd just be in the same situation as Yamato and the ANBU currently were. The barrier was impenetrable, it was as simple as that. Even if it had been Kakashi himself encountering such an obstacle, he wouldn't have been able to break through it by any conventional means. And he knew that the Akatsuki would have prevented entrance to their hideout from anywhere other than the direct route. The only way in which that barrier was going to be broken was by his own death. Which was another reason why Kakashi had to make sure he stayed alive at least until his job was done.

As if mocking that thought, the dull throbbing of Kakashi's wound began to intensify until he felt as though he were receiving it once again – over and over. This reminded the Copy-Ninja of the last time he'd felt like he was being repeatedly stabbed. But unlike then, this was no genjutsu, Kakashi's body was simply trying to tell him that it would not be putting up with such abuse for much longer. It was fortunate that they were nearly there.

As he ran, Kakashi's thoughts returned unbidden to the making of the barrier, and the events that had followed. Even in his near delirious state, the Copy-Ninja could vividly recall every single detail of that experience – and he knew that he'd never forget it. He'd reserved just enough chakra to keep himself more or less mobile, but hadn't moved on straight away. Because, as he'd known it would, the effect of the poison had almost immediately begun to manifest itself. This time however, with no comrades in sight to try and kill, Kakashi had witnessed an entirely new aspect of the compound. For at least a full minute, his mind had turned into a completely blank canvas. And he'd strongly felt that it could easily have been dyed any colour. He'd almost longed for someone to show him where to go, and whom to strike. But swiftly the feeling had passed.

It'd then been replaced by undoubtedly the most severe agony that Kakashi had ever experienced. The Copy-Ninja was not one to yield easily to the influence of pain, but at that moment he had been rendered utterly incapacitated. His vision and hearing had both faded completely and he'd been left in silence and darkness, alone with his suffering. He had retched dryly for minutes on end and had barely been able to breathe when he was finished. His body had been shaking uncontrollably, to the extent that movement had become almost impossible. And his head had started to feel as if it were being repeatedly smashed against the cliff face. It was then that Kakashi had realised that the next time he used his chakra, it would without a doubt be his last. But somehow he'd managed to pick himself up and had gone to find Genma, hoping that his friend would not have realised what he'd done. Not that the Tokubetsu Jonin could have done anything about it. Even if he'd decided to try a sedative on him again, it would not have helped the ANBU squad get through the barrier.

With that, Kakashi's thoughts went to Yamato, and the distress that he was likely to be in. He greatly regretted the fact that it'd come to this, but dwelling on it would do nothing to improve their situation. Out of the shade of the valley, the sun was probably rising. But trapped between these towering stone walls, it may as well have been the middle of the night. If he'd known it might be the last time he'd see it, then perhaps yesterday Kakashi would have taken a moment to appreciate the beauty of the rising dawn. But this was no time for sentimentality. As the walls of the valley began to converge, Kakashi was finally able to see his destination nestled between the unyielding, unassailable precipices. For the first time in many years, the Copy-Ninja felt something close to genuine fear. But it was not for his own life or safety. He'd given up on fearing death back when he had been still a child. No, this was the close gripping fear of him failing to save his friends, and the unconquerable dread of being the one to kill them.

Genma then uttered the only words that he'd spoken since they'd last set off. His voice was firm and thrown to Kakashi like a lifeline. "It doesn't matter what those bastards did to you. You're Kakashi Hatake; you never let your comrades die."

Perhaps if he could have seen the sun rise, heard the dawn chorus, or smelt the fresh dew-coated grass, Kakashi would have believed his friend's statement. But here in this dry, dark and silent valley, his hope had been left far behind.

"Thanks," he replied in a raw, mechanical voice, before slowly adding, "For all of it."

Genma nodded slightly and they made an unspoken decision to walk for the last five minutes. With every single step, Kakashi had to repeatedly defeat the determined resistance of his mind and body. But inevitably, they arrived. The hideout spanned the full width and half the height of the valley, although, it was hewn from stone and would have seemed like a third cliff were it not for the perfectly smooth, arching boulder that with the application of chakra would clearly become a door.

All throughout the final stage of their journey everything had been too still, and too silent. Kakashi knew for certain that they were being watched. Now that they were here, the Akatsuki would have no choice but to grant them entrance, before they could escape, call for backup, or reveal the hideout's location to anyone else.

Gradually Kakashi realised that with each passing moment his breathing was becoming more laboured. The pain and fatigue he was feeling had begun to increase exponentially while all his other senses were starting to dull. With this, Kakashi knew that he would no longer be able to stop consciousness from leaving him. And at that point, all memory, recognition and feeling momentarily faded. All that was left as Kakashi drifted into a feverish stupor was the ominous sound of stone grinding against stone. As well as the vague knowledge that his soon-to-be captors were not going to let him die that easily.


	11. Confusion

Chapter 11

Confusion

A suppressed excitement hovered over the group of nine powerful shinobi. Some showed it more than others, but they all felt it. Because slowly their plans were reaching fruition. Their goal was within their grasp. And, most importantly, their guest of honour had finally arrived. Surely nothing could stop them now. However formidable their captive was, no one could stand up against the raw power of their unashamed evil. This was how they'd been labelled. But, wasn't fighting for peace always a noble cause? And don't the ends justify the means? No one among them sought to answer these difficult questions. When the world was theirs, right and wrong would no longer matter. And finally, that goal was in sight.

* * *

After days of waiting, Asuma had been given the chance he needed. Ever since they'd left he'd been under the watchful eye of minimum three Root Operatives at all times. They were travelling in a group of twenty or so and Asuma had made sure to keep perfect track of their route so that when he managed to escape, he'd know how much further it was to their destination.

The only occasions on which he was guarded by just one Root member was when he was sleeping and when he went to relieve himself. So either of these times would likely prove the best opportunity for escape. However, four days passed before the Operative sent with him dropped his guard enough for Asuma to act. And it helped that they were currently passing through a small, dense forest. The waxy, pale moonlight barely managed to filter in through the tightly-packed trees. He was hidden from the rest of the group but knew that they were only about fifty metres away. Asuma glanced over at his guard and saw that his eyes were fixed on a small clearing nearby.

When he followed the Operative's gaze he spotted the telltale signs of a recent and seemingly rather fierce battle. There were well over twenty bodies strewn across the forest floor. The Jonin guessed that this had been some sort of skirmish between rival rogue bands. But the origin of the battle was not important, its value as a distraction was what Asuma was more concerned with. As his guard's attention was momentarily diverted, Asuma decided that he would be able to cast a discreet genjutsu without being caught.

Saying that genjutsu was not his forte would've been quite an understatement, but Asuma had picked up a few techniques from Kurenai over the years – at least half of them jutsu related. So the Jonin proceeded to channel his physical and mental energy into creating a basic illusion that simply causes the one affected to ignore everything other than what their attention is currently fixed on. He waited for a few minutes to see if it had worked, and sure enough the Root member remained staring intently at the scene of carnage. Asuma realised that he couldn't take too long, as he didn't want anyone to come looking for him, at least while he was still there to be found.

So after one more glance towards his preoccupied guard, Asuma carried out a jutsu that he was much more familiar with: The Art of the Shadow-Doppelganger. He left his doppelganger to get on with the task that he'd separated himself from the group for in the first place. Asuma knew that the clone would simply return to the camp afterwards and feign sleep. It was highly unlikely that the substitution would be noticed before dawn. And when his former guard finally returned to the camp he'd probably alert Danzo to the remnants of the skirmish, rather than reporting any strange behaviour on Asuma's part. This would hopefully divert their attention from him even more, and thus allow him to get further before his doppelganger was discovered.

Thus Asuma left his clone behind and simply began to run – as swiftly and silently as possible – in any direction that would lead him out of the forest, away from Root, and with luck nearer to Kakashi.

After roughly a half-hour, Asuma reached the edge of the forest where finally he could use the star-spangled night sky to regain his bearings. At that point, the Jonin felt it safe to lift the genjutsu. He desisted from channelling his chakra into the technique and hoped that the Operative would not notice that he'd fallen victim to such an amateur trick. But even if he did suspect something, between reporting the sighting of the battle and finding his clone sound asleep at the camp, he probably wouldn't press the issue.

But just to be on the safe side, Asuma started to run once more. The sky had just begun to redden when he finally collapsed from exhaustion. By now the terrain had changed from grassy plains to craggy outcroppings. But the rocky ground did nothing to prevent Asuma from falling straight into a deep, dreamless slumber. After an indeterminable amount of time, the Jonin was startled awake by a sudden burst of recollection that he knew had come from reabsorbing his doppelganger's experiences. It seemed that Danzo himself had been the one to discover the deception. Just as the group had been preparing to depart, he'd run the clone through with one of his subordinates' katana without casting any jutsu to confirm that it wasn't Asuma himself being dispatched. It was true that to one skilled enough, the difference between ninja and doppelganger was discernable. Although, Asuma somehow doubted that the self-proclaimed Hokage would've cared very much either way.

But now that his escape had been discovered, the Jonin decided to redouble his speed. And in order to stave off the onset of exhaustion, Asuma went through all of the memories that his doppelganger had provided him with. He came to a sudden halt as one piece of completely astonishing information passed through his mind. Apparently, Root had found evidence to suggest that the thirty or so Rogue Ninja had in fact been dispatched by his three comrades! He had no idea why such a battle would have occurred, unless the three of them had been ambushed. And Asuma was worried about whether any of his friends had been seriously injured after such a clearly intense fight.

Well the sooner he caught up with them, the sooner he'd get answers. The fact that none of his comrades' bodies had been among the fallen, gave him hope as he increased his pace once more. Asuma was certain that none of the Root members had any more stamina than he did. So when his body was threatening to give out on him, the Jonin felt it safe to rest for a few hours as the sun vanished and the moon began to rise. Occasionally Asuma found himself trying to calculate his chances of surviving this mission. He played out various scenarios in his head, as he would when trying to win a Shogi match. He was sure that Kakashi had done the same when coming up with their initial plan, and briefly Asuma wondered whether the genius would have accounted for the possibility of their secret Plan B. They'd agreed only to ever implement it in an absolutely worst-case scenario. And he sincerely hoped that such a thing had not happened.

Finally Asuma's thoughts went to Kurenai, and what would happen to her if he didn't survive this mission. He wasn't afraid of death, but Asuma would happily have lived for an eternity simply for the sight of her fiery auburn eyes and warm, confident smile. If he made it back from this mission alive, the first thing he'd do would be to tell her for once straight-out how he felt about her. But he knew that the mission was far from over. And lying there daydreaming would help no one.

Asuma sighed and sat up. He ate quickly before setting off once more. This time the Jonin had the image of his lover's determined face spurring him on. And an entire day of running passed him by almost unnoticed.

Eventually Asuma became sure that he was heading in the right direction as mountains began to rise up on either side of him. Each one he passed was more immense than the last. And as the sun began to set once again, the final valley became visible in the distance.

As he got closer, Asuma quickly realised that something was wrong. He was sure that he could make out the forms of at least twenty people camping at the foot of the two great cliffs. And behind them, where the valley's entrance should have been, a startling cerulean barrier towered over the group.

But before he had time to do more than gape, a masked, amour-clad ninja appeared out of nowhere to stand in front of him. Asuma immediately recognised it as a Konoha ANBU and his confusion intensified.

"What in Gods' names is going on here?" the Jonin demanded.

"Asuma-san. We didn't think you would make it." The Operative's voice was blunt to say the least.

"What do you mean?" asked Asuma as his perplexity grew.

Then another person spoke. "Stand down Tsukikage, I'll handle this."

That voice was unmistakable, and from out of the darkness stepped a second shinobi. As he'd suspected, it was Yamato, and he looked almost as bewildered as Asuma felt. They had clearly given up on his arrival. But the presence of ANBU could only mean one thing. And Asuma's heart sank even as he gave utterance to his thoughts.

"We've had to switch to Plan B, haven't we."

Yamato nodded gravely and when he spoke, his voice betrayed a deep anxiety. "Unfortunately, it's much worse than that…"

* * *

As soon as Kakashi awoke, he was certain the events of the past month or so had all been one horribly confused nightmare. He felt comfortable, even relaxed. Something was definitely not right. Then the Copy-Ninja realised that the sensation he was experiencing was not in fact comfort, it was simply a lack of the excruciating pain that he'd become so accustomed to over the last few weeks. Slowly he opened his eyes, only to have his vague feeling of hope vanish as he found himself surrounded by the rough granite walls of yet another containment cell. He could sense Genma's presence beside him and couldn't help but be pleased that they hadn't been separated. In that respect, things were still going according to plan – in spite of his impromptu loss of consciousness. Kakashi stared up at the all-too-familiar grey stone ceiling and smiled lethargically.

"A window or two would really liven the place up a bit, don't you think?"

Kakashi could almost feel Genma's irreverent grin accompanying his response.

"Yeah, that and a couple of mattresses." His voice then became serious. "Can you move?"

Kakashi tried to shift from his current position, which was flat on his back. But however much energy he exerted, he couldn't manage to do more than raise his head. "Damn it!" he gasped.

Genma sighed. "I'll take that as a no then."

Kakashi rolled his eyes – one of the few parts of his anatomy still fully under his control. His body was completely numb, and Genma – after a few seconds of clear deliberation – finally decided to help him sit up and prop his back against the cell wall. Now that he was in a slightly more dignified position, Kakashi's task became finding out what information his comrade had managed to glean while he'd been unconscious.

"What's been going on?" he asked simply.

"No idea," came Genma's blunt response.

The senbon-toting shinobi sounded almost affronted that Kakashi'd expected him to have found anything out during the protracted amount of time that he'd spent unconscious.

The Copy-Ninja's voice took on a decidedly deadpan tone. "Well that's helpful. Is there any particular reason why you haven't picked up any information since we got here?"

Genma's tone easily rivalled his own in sarcasm. "Well I made the mistake of looking away from the hideout for a moment while you passed out practically on top of me. And when I looked back I saw a pair of Sharingan. That's all I remember before waking up here about an hour ago. Nothing's happened since then, apart from you waking up. I could tell you that we're currently being held in some kind of detainment cell. But I assume you've worked that one out for yourself."

Kakashi decided that continuing the discussion was a waste of time. They were likely being watched from somewhere, and besides, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for their captors to think that they had no info on the situation. Although, that said, it might have been helpful if they weren't genuinely ignorant right now. However, the Copy-Ninja was more concerned about the fact that he could neither move nor feel anything below his shoulders. If this had simply been due to chakra drain, he'd at least have been able to feel his body, even if he couldn't move it. Kakashi's only conclusion therefore had to be that the Akatsuki had done something to him while he'd been unconscious.

When he finally spoke, it was in a voice that he knew only Genma could hear. "Okay. So let's assume I've been injected with some kind of paralytic. They clearly aren't taking any chances when it comes to preventing our escape. But then why would they have only used the drug on me? It could be something to do with the compounds already in my system. Another reaction just like the antidote was."

Genma replied in an equally hushed voiced. "Had it ever occurred to you that maybe they don't want you to move because you've done enough damage to yourself already? I don't suppose it's too implausible to consider that perhaps you wouldn't be much use to them dead."

What annoyed Kakashi more than Genma's patronising tone, was the fact that the Tokubetsu Jonin might well have been right. Maybe the Akatsuki planned to keep him completely paralysed so that he wouldn't get the chance to ruin their plans by injuring himself incurably. But Kakashi wasn't able to dwell on that thought for long because the door to their cell had just swung open.

Kisame stood on the threshold, a murderous grin plastered all over his brutish face. Kakashi felt Genma tense beside him as his friend closed his hand around a kunai. It was then that Kakashi realised that neither of them had been stripped of their weapons. Did the Akatsuki assume that they wouldn't use suicide as a means of escape? Or think that even when armed they posed no threat? Had this been a part of their plan all along?

Well whatever the reason, Kakashi's weapons were useless as long as he couldn't move. But before that thought had fully formed, the Jonin started to experience a strong stinging sensation throughout his entire body and feeling slowly began to returned to him. Kisame had obviously known how long his paralysis would last, and had wanted to be there as soon as he regained mobility.

"Copy-Ninja Kakashi, it's an honour to meet you once again." Kisame bared his teeth in a cheerfully sadistic leer.

"Once again, the pleasure's all yours," Kakashi replied, his trademark bored expression falling naturally into place.

"It will be soon enough," Kisame rejoined readily. "But in the meantime, now that you're both awake it's time for a bit of relocation."

The towering Akatsuki member took a step towards Genma, who managed to maintain a nonchalant air as he gave his petulant response. "If you think we're going anywhere without a fight, you've got another thing coming."

Kisame laughed even as he swung Samehada down from his shoulder. Genma rolled to avoid the oversized blade and he and Kakashi quickly rose to their feet. The Copy-Ninja was surprised at being able to move so easily. Quite some time must have passed for his stamina to have recovered this much. Kakashi kept his weapons stowed but Genma levelled a kunai at the Beast. This seemed only to augment Kisame's delight as he brought Samehada to bear for a second time. Genma dodged the bristling blade once more, but the hasty manoeuvre clearly unsteadied him. Kakashi sighed and readied his own weapon as Samehada came slicing through the air to launch a third strike at his friend while he was off-balance.

The sword's rapid descent came to a dead halt as it connected with the Copy-Ninja's kunai. Kisame was formidably strong, and it was taking all Kakashi had to keep his adversary from forcing his arm down. As the surface of Kisame's sword bristled, its razor-sharp teeth bit deep into Kakashi's wrist until he felt the kunai he was holding become slick with blood. The Jonin spoke through gritted teeth as Genma steadied himself.

"Why don't you try picking on someone of your own species for a change?"

The shark-like shinobi laughed heartily and – to Kakashi's surprise – lifted his blade before lowering it into a submissive position. He then ran one finger along the area of the blade that was now coated with Kakashi's blood and sniffed it experimentally.

There was a sick euphoria in Kisame's voice. "Mmm… Perfect! And, more importantly, the compound we introduced into your system while you were unconscious seems to have worked. You've probably already noticed that temporary paralysis was a side effect that we didn't try too hard to remove. But luckily it wore off soon enough to make my visit much more exciting. Now onto the good news. Thanks to this new compound, using chakra will no longer run the risk of killing you. But I'm afraid, Copy-Ninja, that your friend will not be able to accompany you on the next stage of your journey."

Genma grunted derisively. "What part of not going anywhere didn't you understand?"

Kisame gave an ominous smirk. "Actually, I believe it was you who misunderstood when you thought that you had a choice."

As soon as he'd finished speaking, the Akatsuki member's hands started flying through signs that Kakashi didn't need his Sharingan to read.

"Genma, get out of the way!" he shouted desperately.

But it was too late. A torrent of water shot from Kisame's mouth. It pinned Genma to the cell wall before collecting in a sphere around him.

The blue-skinned sadist then spoke in a tone far more menacing than any he'd used so far. "Come with me now, Copy-Ninja, or watch your friend slowly drown."

Kakashi refused to be intimidated by Kisame's theatrics. "Why should I believe you'll let him live if I come with you?"

The next words Kisame uttered made Kakashi's fear for Genma's life increase, along with an acute awareness of his own peril.

"As long as you're obedient, we have no reason to kill the Tokubetsu Jonin. After all, how else would we manage to keep you in line until you follow us by your own volition?"

Kakashi growled his response. "I'll never betray my comrades. Release the jutsu now or I'll kill myself and become useless to your cause."

Kisame seemed to take a deliberately long time to respond to this ultimatum. Meanwhile Kakashi could hear Genma choking behind him as the water cut off his air supply. But he could not afford to turn his back on Kisame at such a crucial moment.

"If you do kill yourself, you leave your so-called comrade in our hands. And something tells me that you might not wish to present us with such an entertaining gift."

In response Kakashi raised his kunai and hovered it over his jugular vein. Kisame made no move to release the jutsu, and Kakashi pressed the kunai against his neck until a trickle of blood began to run down the blade. He was now relying on Kisame's disregard for the bonds of comradeship as well as his loyalty to the Akatsuki's goals. It had to seem as though the Akatsuki meant more to that sadist than Genma's life did to Kakashi. He knew that someone as brutal as Kisame could never understand the lengths to which he was willing to go in order to save a friend. And, as he'd hoped he would, Kisame made the choice that best protected the Akatsuki's plan.

His voice was grudging, but not bitter. "Eventually it won't matter if you're dead or alive. But for now you can have it your way."

He released the jutsu and Genma's body fell to the ground, unmoving. Kakashi turned instinctively to aid his friend, but Kisame's vice-like grip on his shoulder stopped him. And the Copy-Ninja only just managed to verify that Genma was still breathing before he was dragged from the room.

Kakashi, by this point, was beyond resistance. He'd already caused his friend to nearly suffocate – twice. Now was the time for careful planning, not reckless action. He had no idea what was in store. All he knew was that using chakra would no longer kill him. This suggested that the Akatsuki wanted to tap into his chakra reserves without him dying in the process. It also seemed that they were intending to somehow take control of him. After all, what was the point of creating a weapon without being able to wield it?

Well one thing was certain. Whatever the Akatsuki had planned for him, Kakashi Hatake would never willingly hurt those that he loved. However, right now he appeared to have very little control over the situation. Kisame was half leading, half dragging him down the narrow hallway to an unknown fate. And to make matters worse, his chakra drain – although lessened by the passage of time – was beginning to reassert itself with renewed vigour. Even without some of the more undesirable effects of the poison, Kakashi was finding each step an ever-increasing struggle. But he refused to let exhaustion defeat him.

Sheer determination kept him moving until finally they reached a solid, wooden door. Kisame turned the handle and pushed Kakashi into the dark, cavernous room. A single chair – with thick chains attached to it – sat in the middle of an otherwise unadorned chamber. He was guided to the seat by the point of Kisame's sword. As he hesitated in front of the chair he felt one of Samehada's jagged teeth dig into the small of his back. And so, knowing that he had no choice, Kakashi sat.

A low voice echoed from within the unfathomable darkness. "Settle down Kisame, there'll be no need for weapons. After all, we're only moments away from breaking the Copy-Ninja's resistance once and for all."

As soon as these faceless words had been spoken, Kakashi felt the sharp sting of a needle in his right arm. And what worried him the most was that he hadn't even been able to sense the presence of the one wielding it. Then, before he could so much as try to prevent it, the little vision that he had in this murky chamber began to fade.

Kisame's disembodied voice was soft and sinister as it drifted across the room. "As you wish, Leader. I'll leave you two alone."

Then the increasingly familiar falling sensation that marked the transition into unconsciousness washed over him. And Kakashi had a sinking feeling that, when he awoke, he would wish that he'd managed to take a kunai across his jugular while he'd still had the chance.


	12. Defiance

Chapter 12

Defiance

He was mustering all the strength he had. Calling upon it to aid him in remaining conscious. He had decided that, no matter what came next, he wanted to face it awake. But the latest drug added to his system seemed to have other ideas. His eyes would drift closed for moments at a time before he managed to force them open again. Steadily, his situation was deteriorating, but his determination was not. Eventually he could no longer prevent his eyes from closing, but he continued to battle internally with the fog trying to invade and conquer his mind. Just as he felt his awareness slipping at last, he unleashed one final desperate effort, using the last vestiges of his strength. He would not be forced into the world of the dead just yet! And so instead, he resigned himself to the pain that was about to come.

* * *

Tsunade stood at the entrance to the Third Training Ground, waiting. She looked at the three small stumps silhouetted in the distance. The image of a six year old Jiraiya tied to the centre one, arms flailing, flashed through her mind. She smiled. That'd been the day that she'd officially become a Genin, the start of her life as a kunoichi. More years than she wished to count had passed since then, but what difference had they made? One after another she'd watched the people she cared for most pass into shadow. Either the shadow of death or of evil. Her life flashed before her eyes, paling into insignificance. What had she done to prevent the deaths of her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan? Had she managed to prevent Orochimaru from betraying her village, and killing her sensei? And how on Earth would she succeed in stopping the son of her best friend from facing an almost certain death? In that respect Danzo was right, she had let the village down.

"Good afternoon, Tsunade."

This curt salutation derailed her train of thought. Finally, they were here. The Fifth Hokage turned to greet Konoha's Elders, Homura and Koharu. The two of them were standing stiff and alert, perhaps fearing that they had been followed. The first thing that Danzo had done upon taking over Konoha was to make it impossible to go anywhere without a Root spy getting wind of it. Although, in the last few days there had been a marked decrease in Root activity throughout the village. And Tsunade suspected that the Elders had arranged this secret meeting so that they could let her know why. She kept silent and allowed Koharu to get straight to the point.

"We have organised this gathering in order to inform you that Danzo – along with approximately two dozen Root Operatives – has left the village."

Homura then took over from his companion, "We fear that he has gone to attack the Akatsuki directly. He took Asuma Sarutobi with him as a prisoner and will probably use him to locate Kakashi Hatake."

For a few moments, Tsunade was silent as the words refused to sink in. But when they finally did, she couldn't hold her peace. "That reckless, underhanded lunatic!" she cried in a disbelieving voice. What could he possibly have hoped to achieve by such a foolish action? And how the hell had he managed to capture Asuma? Before she could stop herself, Tsunade had slammed her fist into the nearest tree, uprooting it in the process and sending large chunks of wood flying across the Training Ground.

"Calm yourself, Tsunade," Koharu cautioned in a stern voice. "We also recognise the imprudence of Danzo's actions. His regime has already had an adverse effect on Konoha. Missions are being turned down, or left uncompleted. If this continues, other nations will refuse our services and the prosperity of the entire Land of Fire will suffer. The village is rife with the stench of silent rebellion. And now that Danzo has left, who knows what will happen?"

Homura nodded steadily. "That is why we have come to you. We made an error in judgement, Danzo is too hungry for power to adequately fulfil the role of Hokage. But while he is away, the village has been left in our hands. We offer it back to you. It is true that you too have made mistakes, but perhaps we acted with undue haste. Return to the position of Hokage, and set right the wrongs committed against Konoha."

Tsunade listened to all this with one eyebrow raised and a spark of resolution in her eye. What fickle old fools Konoha's Elders were! Now that the village was slowly crumbling around them, they'd come crawling back to her for help. Well they'd just have to wait, because if there was one thing that Tsunade would not allow Danzo to do, it was to interfere with Kakashi's mission.

She tried to control her annoyance as she spoke. "If you want me to sort out this mess – which you've both had more than a hand in – then you'll have to wait. There's something I've got to do first."

Koharu's sharp tone held an edge of incredulity. "What could you possibly have to do at a time like this?"

Tsunade's answer was firm, and her mind was set. "I'm going to stop that sadistic bastard from hurting my Jonin."

* * *

Genma sat alone in his cell. Since his return to consciousness, he'd lost all sense of time. Occasionally he would drift into sleep and once or twice there'd been a paltry meal waiting for him when he awoke. He had no idea of where Kakashi had been taken. Or if he was even still alive. No; he couldn't be dead. Because if he was, then Genma would have no reason – or desire – to be left living himself.

He was keenly aware that the only purpose he now served was as Kakashi's behavioural incentive. He would've liked to have thought that as a shinobi and ex-ANBU, the Jonin might've decided to put the mission first. But this was the Copy-Ninja he was talking about. And for some stupid reason, Genma's life meant more to Kakashi than his own did, and seemed to mean much more than the task at hand. Genma knew that he himself would've felt the exact same way. But that really wasn't the point.

Despite the Jonin's seeming disregard for the mission, Genma had still not lost faith in Kakashi's plan. The best way for the Akatsuki to prove to Kakashi that Genma was still alive, would be for them to see each other face to face once more. And Itachi was likely to be on hand to restrain the Tokubetsu Jonin using his dojutsu, because physical methods were too risky when Genma needed to be kept alive and at least moderately intact in order to provide acceptable leverage – and the Akatsuki certainly knew by now that he was not going to be restrained by physical means without putting up a fight. He could perfectly recall Kakashi's blunt tone as he'd run through all of the most probable scenarios for once they'd arrived at the hideout. And despite Genma's growing fear, the recollection of his friend's calm, matter-of-fact voice was enough to stop despair from taking root.

The fact that the Akatsuki had allowed them to keep their weapons was promising. Naturally, he had hidden kunai, shuriken, and plenty of senbon about his person just in case. But not having his weapons pouch removed meant that the Akatsuki would likely encourage Genma to use them. Kakashi had described to him the reasoning that might accompany such behaviour on the Akatsuki's part, and it had seemed to make sense. Although, right now wasn't the time to review the entire explanation. The main risk to their plan at the moment was whatever was being done to Kakashi. Genma was genuinely afraid for that aloof, sarcastic fool. But still, he had faith in Kakashi's genius mind. Not that he really had any choice other than to trust the idiot. After Kakashi had explained Genma's role in the plan, he'd refused to say what he intended to do once the Tokubetsu Jonin had played his part. Maybe he simply didn't know. But it was too late now to doubt their strategy.

If one of them died, so would the other. At least that was how Kakashi had made it seem. If the Copy-Ninja died, then Genma would be killed as the Akatsuki wouldn't need him anymore. And Genma knew for certain that Kakashi would not let him die without sacrificing his own life as well. The unwavering defiance in his friend's gaze as he'd pressed a kunai to his own throat had said that much.

But right now all he could do was wait and cling desperately to the hope that things would work out as planned – whatever that plan might be. He knew that Kakashi was putting everything on the line here. The only thing that the Copy-Ninja seemed unwilling to sacrifice was Genma's own life. And the Tokubetsu Jonin had to try and accept that. After all, if he could still prove useful to his closest friend, then he was not going anywhere.

* * *

This behaviour was unacceptable. Why was he not screaming? Not begging for death? Why was there no desperation in that onyx eye; only hatred? The sheer obstinacy of Kakashi Hatake exceeded even his formidable reputation. And so the Leader of the Akatsuki had no choice but to be impressed.

Just as they'd been about to begin the final procedure, the Copy-Ninja had somehow brought himself back from the brink of unconsciousness – overcoming the sedative injected into his system – and had nearly managed to break free of his chakra-infused bonds. Pain had never carried out this jutsu on a living target, let alone one who was conscious. But commencing the operation had seemed the only way to prevent the Hatake from launching a resistance too costly to the Jonin himself and to them all if he managed to escape.

A part of Pain's mind had warned him that the young man was likely to die from the agony about to be inflicted upon him. But there was no other way to keep Kakashi Hatake under control. He'd had to call Kisame back to restrain the ninja while Pain himself had removed Kakashi's jacket and shirt in preparation for what was to come. But he had been shocked to see a rather dangerously inflamed abdominal wound marring the Copy-Ninja's otherwise perfect physique. The fact that he'd made it there even when so severely injured was the only true warning Pain had received of the Copy-Ninja's superhuman powers of endurance.

Then, when the Leader had produced the required items, the Jonin's only reaction had been the slight raise of one eyebrow. And when the procedure itself had begun, although his eyes had widened in shock, Kakashi had not once let-on the tremendous amount of pain that he had undoubtedly been in. The Copy-Ninja was a most interesting specimen. That much was certain.

And now that it was over, the Jonin had been left gasping for breath. But still carrying an air of defiance. One more move on the Leader's part would change all that. He stepped towards the Hatake – who was glaring back at him with impressive ferocity – and placed one hand in the centre of his flawlessly sculpted chest. Pain pushed chakra into his palm and felt it vibrate through the Copy-Ninja's body. The results were far from instantaneous, and it was clear that the Hatake was fighting back with every ounce of strength he had.

But in the end it was always going to have been a wasted effort. Slowly but surely the fire in the Copy-Ninja's eyes died. Only to be replaced by a submissively blank stare. Pain smirked. Knowing that finally, he had won.

The Hatake's chakra would be kept circulating indefinitely, thanks to the new components added to his anatomy. This chakra would not actually be expended until a jutsu was used. But as long as energy was coursing through his Keirakukei, the Copy-Ninja would remain docile – his mind nothing more than a blank canvas. And in theory, the Leader would be able to use him to deal with any threat, simply by sending out a spike of his own chakra to alert their new Weapon to whomever was to be considered an enemy. However, this theory had never actually been tested. Thus all that remained now was to see if the Akatsuki's plan had worked. And for that they would need the rather amusing pest that Kakashi had brought along with him.

* * *

After her meeting with the Elders, Tsunade knew that the time had come for her to carry out the contingency plan that she'd had in place ever since Kakashi and his three comrades had left. Well, more specifically, ever since his Ninken had returned to their place of summoning – ready to be summoned once again.

Finding a sample of Kakashi's blood in the village had certainly not been a difficult accomplishment. Neither had performing the appropriate jutsu so that the one animal she needed would appear before her. Getting said animal to cooperate, on the other hand, had been one of the most frustrating tasks she'd ever attempted. Tsunade knew that if the pug had been trained by anyone else, he would've accepted her authority immediately. But Pakkun was Kakashi's dog through and through. And so even though this had taken place over a week ago, when she'd still held the title of Hokage – and all shinobi of the village, human and animal alike, had been obligated to listen to her – he'd still proven almost impossible to reason with.

But eventually Pakkun had agreed to do as she'd asked. Although, this had probably been because he'd recognised that it may end up helping Kakashi, rather than because she'd been ordering him to do so as Hokage. She had decided from the beginning that she'd need a way of getting to Kakashi herself if anything went wrong with Plan B. Her skill at the Teleportation Jutsu was often overlooked alongside the famed prowess of Konoha's Yellow Flash. But the Fifth Hokage was still fairly confident when it came to space-time manipulation. However, much like Minato's technique, hers also relied on the precise placement of teleportation markers.

That was where Pakkun had come in. His speed – which was impressive even by nin-dog standards – and his knowledge of the hideout's location, had made him perfect for the task. And it'd certainly helped that over the years he'd developed a strong familiarity with all domains beyond the Land of Fire, as he'd accompanied Kakashi on so many missions. In fact, the only near insurmountable barrier had been that mutt's indomitable stubbornness. But fortunately he had agreed in the end that Tsunade being able to help Kakashi might not be such a terrible thing – especially considering the kid's tendency to put himself in harm's way at every possible opportunity. And so she'd gotten Pakkun to place teleportation markers just outside the entrance to the final valley, which apparently led to the Akatsuki's hideout. In accordance with Tsunade's instructions, he'd travelled by a route that would not cross Kakashi's own path. The three would not have been very far into their journey at that point and hadn't needed to know of her personal back-up plan.

It had taken Pakkun only a few days to complete the task. He'd told her that he'd picked up a vague trace of Kakashi's scent on the wind but hadn't pursued it. And Tsunade had been glad to know that they were out there somewhere, hopefully making progress. And so she'd dismissed Pakkun feeling confident that everything was going well. Of course that was a while ago now. And suffice it to say that the situation had gone considerably downhill since then.

But whatever was going on, Tsunade would do her best to set things right. And if Danzo and his Root army became a threat to Kakashi's life, then she was perfectly prepared to kill every last one of them – starting with that smug, senseless old fool.

The Fifth Hokage fixed that thought firmly in her mind before preparing to channel her chakra into the jutsu that would plunge her headfirst into the unknown. The usual feeling of disorientation accompanied her on her trip and intensified upon arrival. She had no idea where she'd ended up. This surely couldn't be the final valley, could it? It was twilight and she could see a distinct campfire in the distance. There appeared to be at least twenty people gathered around it. At first she feared that these were the Root Operatives that she'd been warned about, but even from this distance she could make out the unique style of their ANBU uniforms.

This confused her all the more and she began to walk towards the unexpected gathering. She noticed that every shinobi had their attention fixed on a shadowy form that she couldn't quite make out. He appeared to be recounting something and a few of the ANBU were jotting down notes. Then the ninja speaking stepped forward and was illuminated by the flames. She gasped. It was Asuma.

Her involuntary noise of shock had caused some of the ANBU to turn. It seemed that, at first, they couldn't see her in the darkness. But as she stepped towards the light of the fire, Tsunade saw recognition dawn on their faces. For quite some time no one moved. Then, slowly and cautiously Asuma began to walk towards her, as if fearing that she might disappear at any moment. With equal hesitance, another ninja approached beside him. She instantly recognised him as Yamato.

When they were only a few metres away she finally spoke. "I don't suppose anyone would care to inform me of what is going on here?"

"Don't look at me," Asuma shrugged, "I only just arrived. How on Earth did you get here?"

Yamato sighed. He looked exhausted. "I suppose we all have a lot of explaining to do."

"Indeed," Tsunade replied firmly. "But first, where's the Brat?"

Yamato lowered his eyes to the ground and Asuma clenched his fists. This was enough for Tsunade to realise that things were most certainly not going according to plan. And somehow the Fifth Hokage knew that she was in for a very long night.


	13. Sacrifice

Chapter 13

Sacrifice

A cold fury burned in his heart – blunted by years of strictest apathy. The man who had escaped him would suffer. But first he had an insidious Organisation to wipe off the face of the Earth. Also, there was a certain ninja whose loyalties needed evaluating. And if it became clear that he had betrayed them, his life would be terminated as well. The martial shinobi led his group on, each step bringing them nearer to their goal. From here on out, failure was no longer an option. He would crush anyone who stood in his way. After that, his rule would finally be unquestioned.

* * *

Genma was abruptly roused from a fitful slumber by the door to his cell clanging open. He started upright and quickly rose to his feet. But as soon as he had, he realised that it'd only given him further to fall. Because on the threshold stood Itachi, his Sharingan activated. And for all he knew, Genma could've been under the influence of the Uchiha's genjutsu already.

The taciturn kid had grown in stature since the last time Genma had properly laid eyes on him. However, Itachi's emotionless voice was exactly the same. "There are two options, Genma Shiranui. We can do this the easy way. Or we can do this the hard way."

Genma smirked but his eyes remained cold. "I think I'll take the hard way, thanks."

Itachi sighed, and before Genma had even registered his movements, the Uchiha had appeared directly in front of him. Their eyes locked and almost instantly the room began to spin out from under him.

The next thing Genma was aware of was his body landing hard against the cold stone floor. For a moment he thought he was still in his cell, but this thought vanished as soon as he raised his head. He was now in some kind of chamber, it was of cavernous proportions and the only light was provided by a few sconces affixed to the walls. But what unnerved the Tokubetsu Jonin most were the eight cloaked figures looming in the doorway.

He had never seen such an unbelievable bunch of freaks in his life. In other circumstances Genma might have made a cutting remark about their subhuman appearance. But something was telling him not to underestimate this particular group of shinobi. Among the eight of them, seven were at least relatively identifiable as male and one was a woman. The only members that Genma recognised were Itachi and Kisame.

Steadily he stood, all the while glaring defiantly at the Akatsuki. He'd be damned if he was going to take this lying down! The Tokubetsu Jonin moved a hand to his right thigh and confirmed that his weapons pouch was still firmly attached. This was fortunate as he had a sinking feeling that he was about to need it.

After a few minutes of Genma's silent face-off with what he'd thought was the entire Organisation, another figure entered the room. The way that the members parted to let him through made it pretty clear that this flame-headed ninja was in charge. An Akatsuki member wearing a bright orange mask even gave a sycophantic bow in the new arrival's direction. And the rest of the group turned expectantly towards their seeming Leader.

Even from across the room Genma could see the traces of a smirk curling this Leader's lips as he spoke. "My Brothers, allow me to present to you the former Kakashi Hatake, once universally feared as the infamous Copy-Ninja. Behold! Our new Weapon."

Genma's breath caught in his throat and his eyes went wide. On the threshold stood a tall, powerfully built ninja with a haphazard shock of silver hair. He was instantly recognisable, but still this was Kakashi as Genma had never seen him before. His bare, muscular torso was pierced by well over a dozen black rod-like objects. But despite all this, he was standing impassively in front of the Leader, as if awaiting instruction. What the hell had these bastards done to him?

After a moment, the Leader raised his hands in an obscure sign. And Genma could see that the red-head's arms were riddled with similar objects to the ones projecting from Kakashi's body. Then finally Genma met the eyes of his most loyal comrade. Kakashi's gaze was vague and muted. But a steely resolve still simmered deep below the surface, showing that – whatever had happened to his friend – he had not been beaten yet. Genma knew that somewhere in the Jonin's mind, he was fighting this process with every single modicum of his remaining strength.

The Leader's face then became a mask of deepest concentration and Genma could sense the almost physical vibration of his chakra throughout the room. In response, Kakashi's body jerked upright and the distant look in his eyes intensified, as all remnants of the man Genma knew fell from his friend's gaze. Kakashi then opened his Sharingan eye as one would unsheathe a sword.

As if taking this for some unspoken cue the Akatsuki members slowly dispersed and lined the walls of the chamber. Itachi was the closest to Genma and considering how easily he'd been restrained by the Uchiha's genjutsu twice before, he doubted that this placement was a coincidence.

The Leader then stepped to one side and Kakashi was left standing directly opposite Genma. He searched desperately for even a trace of recognition in his friend's vacant stare, but saw none. Genma swallowed hard and tried to mentally prepare himself for what was about to come.

The Leader's whispered words carried easily to his ears. "Kill him."

Kakashi took a step forward, his blank expression hardening. Genma inhaled deeply. He had to stay calm and somehow convince himself that this was all part of the plan. He couldn't freeze up right now. Finally the time had come to fulfil his role. And Genma could barely believe what he was about to do.

He didn't have to try very hard to make his voice sound utterly terrified. "Kakashi! What are you doing? What's happened to you? Answer me!"

The Akatsuki's newest Weapon took another step forward.

Genma's next words disgusted him, but not as much as what he was about to do. "I'm so sorry Kakashi, but you said that if you ever turned against your comrades I should no longer treat you as a friend. You've become my enemy. That means one of us will die here!"

Then, sighing internally Genma withdrew three shuriken. He closed his eyes for a moment, before throwing the jagged projectiles straight at his one time friend.

Genma had to work hard to hide his relief as Kakashi dodged the weapons with ease. It seemed that somehow the rods were not affecting his movement. The Jonin then raised a hand to his lips and a moment later a wall of water came crashing towards Genma. He channelled chakra into his feet and leapt upwards to avoid the wave. From the air he threw more shuriken with an aim so erratic that the Akatsuki would have no choice but to buy into his crazed performance.

And sure enough, every member of the Organisation was fixated on his and Kakashi's battle and seemed appropriately scornful of Genma's panic. Of course the Tokubetsu Jonin knew that Kakashi could have easily killed him quicker than he would've been able to register. But it seemed that the Jonin was sizing him up first, as he did with all his enemies before planning the surest way to dispatch them. What worried Genma the most about this was that Kakashi was acting as if he'd never seen him fight before. As soon as the Jonin was through analysing him, it would likely be too late to save either of them. That meant Genma had to wrap up his side of the plan before things went any further. After running through the necessary signs with a speed born from experience, the Tokubetsu Jonin caused a vicious torrent of air to rip through the cavernous chamber.

As the localised hurricane passed them, each of the Akatsuki members shielded their eyes and channelled chakra into the soles of their feet in order to keep from being thrown across the room. Amid the chaos, no one saw Genma release his final shuriken. Not one of them noticed it graze the arm of someone other than the target – including the one affected. And not a single member detected that there was a gossamer-thin thread attached to this shuriken, which enabled Genma to pull it back, palm it and disengage the string before the wind died down.

But he couldn't prevent the Akatsuki from noticing him suddenly regain his composure and make his first completely accurate shot, anticipating the direction in which the Copy-Ninja would dodge. The shuriken struck Kakashi just below the ribcage on his left side. Only Itachi might have acknowledged the significance of him being wounded in that spot – again. But the Uchiha showed no sign of it. Not that it would have mattered now. Because Genma could see the blank look in Kakashi's eyes slowly clearing, as if he were waking up from a dream.

As soon as it had faded completely, Kakashi met Genma's uncertain gaze. In his friend's eyes the Tokubetsu Jonin observed an intense, perplexing sorrow. Then for a moment there was something else, something deeper, in Kakashi's striking gaze. He winked. And it was gone. The Copy-Ninja's blank, submissive expression fell flawlessly back into place. But now that vacant stare seemed to hold an undercurrent of defiance, so subtle that Genma thought perhaps he was imagining it. For a few moments the entire room was perfectly still.

Then a sullen faced Akatsuki member holding a giant three-bladed scythe broke the silence. Saying in a bored, sardonic voice, "It looks like our Tool's been wounded."

The Leader narrowed his monochrome eyes. "I can see that, Hidan. It should not make any difference."

Next a strange creature – some hideous crossbreed of human and plant – spoke in low insinuating tones. "The Tool still seems reluctant to complete his task. Perhaps further measures should be taken…"

The Leader eyed Kakashi for a moment, as if weighing up the Jonin's current loyalties, as well as his capabilities. Genma's heart raced as he awaited the Leader's response. Eventually it came. "No… give him time. He has been subdued."

The Leader then made that strange hand sign for a second time. And after an almost imperceptible delay Kakashi's body jerked straight and all expression fell from his face. But before either Genma or Kakashi had made any move to continue their charade of a battle, the Leader spoke again.

"It seems that being under our jutsu has not diminished the Weapon's intelligence. He has allowed his former comrade to exhaust his supply of shuriken. Now I will demonstrate the capacity of the Copy-Ninja, when correctly wielded."

With that, the Leader made a series of signs and the black rods puncturing the Jonin's sculpted chest began to tremble with a red-hot glow. Genma had absolutely no idea how Kakashi was masking the excruciating pain that such a sensation must have been causing him. But fortunately it wouldn't have mattered if Kakashi had shown it, because all of the Akatsuki members were now turning towards Genma instead. Probably not wanting to miss the moment that their Weapon dispatched him.

The Leader's ominous voice rang out once more. "I think it would be fitting for our Weapon to use only his finest array of jutsu in order to bring about the death of his former comrade. So impress us, Tool."

Genma held his breath, completely unaware of what might come next. In order to keep up appearances, Kakashi would have to use an extremely high-level jutsu against him. This prospect filled Genma with unease mainly because during the last stage of their journey, Kakashi had been showing all the signs of severe chakra drain. He had no idea why this had been the case, but all Genma knew was that using powerful ninjutsu while dangerously low on chakra could prove fatal. And of course, if the jutsu hit, then it would undoubtedly prove fatal to himself as well. But the situation had now slipped far beyond his control.

The distant look in Kakashi's eyes didn't falter for a moment, even as his body began to shake with the expense of chakra. He seemed to be channelling that chakra into his palms, ready to make the signs that would turn his energy into action.

Then Itachi spoke for the first time since they'd entered the room. "Leader, I feel that the Tool should not be made to waste all of his chakra at this early stage. For an unknown reason, his reserves appear to be severely depleted."

For the briefest moment Genma saw a look of annoyance flash across Kakashi's face. But before anyone else could register it, the expression had faded. The Akatsuki members now had their gazes turned towards the Leader, waiting for his response to Itachi's comment.

His voice was icy calm. "You seem to be forgetting, Itachi, that it is not only the Uchiha who possess dojutsu. My eyes can see the Weapon's chakra as well as yours can. The jutsu that he is about to use will probably render him immobile. But it may be advantageous for the Tool to be weakened while we plan how best to use him in our wider goals. Nevertheless, after he has killed the Shiranui, I will not have him use any more jutsu until he is sufficiently recovered. And while he is under our control, I will not allow the Tool to die. But if for whatever reason the pest survives our Weapon's attack, I will kill that Tokubetsu Jonin personally. He is no longer needed."

Itachi was silent. But even if he had wanted to respond, the opportunity quickly passed as Kakashi completed his jutsu. There was a sudden explosion of noise into the chamber. The sound of a thousand birds was echoed and magnified to deafening proportions as it reverberated through the room. Genma stared at his friend in awe, this jutsu was nothing like the Chidori he had known. In each palm, Kakashi held a bright blue ball of electrically charged chakra. Steadily they began to expand and merge as the Jonin brought his hands together. The chirping died down as the chakra became concentrated beyond the point of audibility. Then suddenly Kakashi slammed his palms into the floor, pushing the giant lightening sphere through the rough-hewn stone.

The room shook violently and the sconces attached to the walls came crashing down. For a moment Genma feared that the entire hideout would collapse. But no such thing happened. It was now completely black in the chamber. But barely a moment passed before the darkness was shattered by a blinding flare of turquoise light.

Countless towering pillars of pure energy erupted from the floor. Genma gasped as the columns formed into a seemingly solid ring of deepest electric blue. And all of the Akatsuki members were now trapped on the other side of the lightening barrier – completely obscured from view. Then suddenly, Kakashi too disappeared from sight but less than a second later he reappeared directly in front of the awed Tokubetsu Jonin. By this point, the Copy-Ninja seemed close to complete exhaustion. And Genma watched in horror as the Jonin sank to his knees, his head falling against his chest.

Genma had been about to move to his friend's aid, but when Kakashi raised his head once more the Tokubetsu Jonin froze. The Copy-Ninja's Sharingan locked with his own bewildered gaze. But Genma noticed something subtly different about it, something that he'd never seen before and had certainly never dreamed of seeing in his Hatake friend. But he had no time to reflect on this uncalculated occurrence. And as the red and black pinwheel – which he'd only ever heard about in legends – steadily began to rotate, Genma had only one thought. This most certainly had not been part of the plan.

The room then started to spin and dissolve around him. At first slowly, but with ever increasing rapidity until Genma could no longer make out any distinct forms. But the image of Kakashi's face remained with him, burned into his memory. Genma was almost certain that he'd seen a tear fall from his friend's Sharingan eye. And as the swirling palette of colours and shapes faded into blackness, Genma could still hear Kakashi's pained, breathless voice whispering into the darkness.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

Asuma paced the campsite restlessly. He could feel disaster closing in on him from all sides. In front of him was the ultimate testament to Kakashi's stubbornness. That damned barrier! How many more rescue attempts were going to be cut short by that idiot's pig-headed attitude? And meanwhile, every second brought the Root army closer. They'd be here in a matter of hours, Asuma was sure of it. In fact, the only reason why they weren't here already was because they'd stopped to analyse the carnage caused by his friends. Time was running out. And yet none of them could go anywhere. Asuma couldn't take this anymore!

Eventually Yamato approached him. The ANBU's face was pale and drawn, as if he hadn't slept in days.

The Operative's raw, weary voice only furthered this impression. "Good morning, Asuma."

The Jonin raised an eyebrow. "It's morning already?"

"Almost." Yamato shrugged.

Asuma's response was monotone. "Time sure does fly when you're having fun."

After a long silence, which neither of them seemed particularly keen to fill, Asuma saw Tsunade crossing over to join them. The silence continued as the ANBU, the Jonin and the Kage stood vigil before the dazzling cerulean barrier.

Then, through the perfectly still early morning air, a subtle noise began to assert itself. It was the increasingly audible crackling of static electricity. Asuma looked over at Yamato and then at Tsunade, trying to see if they too could hear the out-of-place sound. He saw each of their eyes widen, looks of horror crossing their faces. And when he turned back towards the towering wall of lightning, Asuma quickly realised why.

The barrier had begun to emit erratic flashes of bright blue energy. Then bit by bit, it started to fade. Asuma found himself rooted to the spot, suffocated by the feeling of mounting dread. Within moments that wall, which Asuma now desperately regretted cursing, had completely vanished. This could only mean one thing, and the Jonin couldn't even bring himself to think it.

But before any of this had truly sunk in, another strange noise began to fill the growing silence. It was a high pitched whirring sound, unlike anything that Asuma had ever heard before. Then, in the exact spot where the barrier had stood only moments ago, the air began to shimmer and vague shapes in spiralling patterns began to sporadically appear and fade.

As these shapes solidified into one distinct form, Asuma found himself gazing upon the person he'd least expected to see right now. For whatever impossible reason, Genma had somehow ended up sprawled on the ground before them.

But regardless of how it'd happened, and in spite of his friend's sudden appearance, the barrier was gone. And Asuma had a sinking feeling that he was about to hear why.

Genma met each of their gazes in turn, and the grief and panic that Asuma saw in his friend's eyes filled his heart with fear. Genma held one hand to his head for a moment before clenching his fist and punching it into the ground with uncontained fury.

Then the Tokubetsu Jonin spoke in a voice that started off soft but rose in a desperate crescendo.

"Shit…Shit. Shit. Shit! SHIT!"

Then Genma's voice fell again, broken and barely audible. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop him. I think…"

He broke off. Asuma knelt beside his friend. His own voice shook. "Tell me…" He couldn't say it. This couldn't be happening. Yet somehow, it was.

Genma closed his eyes and seemed not to care about the tears that had began to flow freely down his face. With each passing moment, it became more and more impossible to deny the reality of the situation. And soon Asuma found himself in the exact same state as the Tokubetsu Jonin.

Genma managed only one more word, but it was all he really needed to say. "Mangekyo…"

Asuma heard Yamato gasp as realisation seemed to finally hit him. Then the ANBU sank to the ground beside them.

As Asuma grew increasingly numb, he heard a soft yet firm voice pulling him back to reality. "Didn't anyone ever tell the three of you that shinobi don't cry?"

Asuma looked up at the Fifth Hokage, her hazel eyes were filled with unshed tears but her voice held an indomitable edge of determination. "I wouldn't write the kid off just yet."

Yamato was the first to pull himself together enough to speak. "Lady Tsunade, the barrier's gone. There's only one explanation."

Asuma glanced back at the camp only to see Yugao Uzuki walking slowly towards them. Her eyes were unfocused and her pale face was streaked with tears. Clearly she'd already taken in the situation. She seemed even more out of it than she had when Hayate… Asuma left that thought hanging as he watched Yamato get steadily to his feet.

The ANBU then wiped his eyes and crossed over to where Yugao now stood, placing one hand gently on her shoulder. She made no response, standing there motionless, save for the tears sliding over her cheeks. Then with a constricted sob she threw her arms around Yamato's neck and began to cry into his chest. Hesitantly Yamato returned her embrace and they stood there in silence, sharing each other's pain.

Shakily, Asuma rose. He looked down at Genma. The Tokubetsu Jonin had raised his head but otherwise seemed completely detached from the world around him. After a while Asuma held out a firm hand to his friend. Genma grasped it, and Asuma pulled him to his feet. Gradually, Yugao and Yamato broke apart before walking over to join them. Yamato's arm was still wrapped protectively around Yugao's shoulders.

The four of them then turned to Tsunade, waiting for her to exercise her authority and tell them what the hell they were supposed to do now. For a moment, the Hokage seemed at a loss for words. Asuma had no idea what was passing through her head, but she looked a thousand miles away. Eventually the rest of the ANBU began to gather around her as well. Not one of them seemed unshaken. Because, after all, Kakashi had once been their Captain.

Finally, Tsunade acknowledged that the entire camp was awaiting her instruction. She took a deep breath before hardening her gaze. "We will proceed into the valley immediately. That barrier was the only thing preventing us from being detected. We need to move before the Akatsuki have time to prepare for our arrival, and before Root manage to catch up with us."

Asuma and those surrounding him nodded firmly and immediately everybody set about clearing the campsite. A heavy silence hung in the air as they all wondered what unspeakable truths awaited them at their destination.

Asuma gritted his teeth, trying to keep his eyes dry as he thought about the man who would have been the godfather of his unborn child. Damn it! He hadn't even told Kakashi that Kurenai was pregnant. He knew that his best friend would have made a far better role model for his kid than he could ever be. And Asuma couldn't help wishing with all his heart that their places had been exchanged.

But he would not let that idiot lay down his life so easily. Asuma had half a mind to go and beat an apology out of the Jonin for being such a foolish, self-righteous asshole. How dare Kakashi try and sacrifice himself for the very people who would die to protect him!

Still, he was not going to believe anything until he saw it with his own eyes. After all, the Copy-Ninja was renowned world over for being a master of deception. So until there was no choice left to him, Asuma would refuse to accept that he'd never again bear the brunt of his best friend's twisted sense of humour.

* * *

As soon as those lightning columns shot up from the ground, Itachi knew that Kakashi no longer intended to kill his comrade. And his surprise only grew when those pillars joined together into a barrier that Madara himself would have struggled to teleport through. And that not even the Leader's Rinnegan could have visually penetrated. Just as Pain had ordered, the Copy-Ninja had used one of his finest jutsu. And the Uchiha suspected that this was Kakashi's own original creation, as he'd never seen a technique like it before. Itachi couldn't help smirking at the Hatake's unpredictability. Some things never changed.

It was clear that rather than being used offensively, the purpose of this jutsu was to keep them from interfering with Kakashi's next move. Moments later however, the barrier started to crackle and spark, before fading as suddenly as it had formed. Not one member of the Akatsuki moved, they all stared in astonishment at the motionless figure lying facedown in the middle of the chamber. Genma Shiranui was nowhere to be seen, and even after activating his Sharingan, Itachi could sense no trace of chakra residing in Kakashi's lifeless form. One word flashed through his mind. Kamui. The Might of the Gods. It was the only Mangekyo technique that could be invoked by rigorous training alone; a jutsu that even he did not possess.

But clearly they'd been correct in their assessment of Kakashi's depleted chakra supplies. Creating that ring of solid lightning had brought him to the very limit of his stamina, and using Mangekyo Sharingan had pushed him over the edge. It was no surprise therefore that the Hatake clearly wasn't breathing.

Deidara's rueful voice broke the silence. "So it seems that the Copy-Ninja has tricked us again, hmm? Although apparently for the last time."

The Leader made no response but instead knelt beside Kakashi's unmoving body. Itachi crossed to join him, but as he did so he began to feel a vague stinging sensation radiating through his left arm. He looked over and found a small tear in his robe just below the shoulder. There was blood fringing the ripped material from a shallow cut running across his upper arm. The Leader turned to face him and his eyes widened as he saw Itachi inspecting his wound.

The Uchiha then gave utterance to the statement that he knew was passing through Pain's mind. "Kakashi Hatake was cured."

Pain's tone betrayed more anger than Itachi had ever heard from the stoic ninja. "How could you have allowed this to happen?"

Itachi's voice remained calm. "The strength of the Tokubetsu Jonin's wind jutsu caused the sensation of the shuriken to remain unnoticed. And closing my eyes for a moment as the technique passed, meant that I did not see it. Although it seems, Leader, that neither did you."

"Are you attempting to undermine me?" Pain hissed ominously.

"I'm merely pointing out the facts," Itachi replied impassively. "This had obviously been a part of their plan from the beginning."

The Leader then seemed to regain his composure, although annoyance still coloured his every word. "Unfortunately, we have lost an invaluable asset to our Organisation. However, Konoha will also suffer greatly from this loss. Without Kakashi Hatake they will be severely weakened."

"They still have two out of the three Sannin on their side," Tobi unhelpfully pointed out in his usual carefree tone.

Pain's expression darkened, "When the time comes, I will take care of Jiraiya. And Tsunade does not pose much of a threat to us. She is a medic-nin by nature which means that she will not engage us directly in anything other than a last resort. Because if the Fifth Hokage dies, who will heal Konoha's citizens when we launch our final attack?"

Kisame then spoke in an uncharacteristically urgent voice. "Leader, my Samehada is sensing a very powerful chakra as well as over twenty distinct chakra signatures heading this way. It seems that Konoha is making a belated attempt to retrieve their Jonin."

Itachi was surprised by this. It was reckless of Konoha to launch a frontal assault against the Akatsuki. Tsunade would certainly have known about Kakashi's mission, and he didn't doubt that the powerful chakra Kisame had sensed belonged to her. But why would she desert her post in order to lead a futile rescue attempt for someone that she'd sent out in the first place?

Pain sighed even as he showed that his line of thinking had been unsettlingly similar to Itachi's own. "It is likely that the Fifth Hokage is among them. If we allow them to reach us and they intend to engage us in battle, then we will have no choice but to destroy them. But if we do that then their allies amongst the other Great Nations will hear of it. They may become encouraged to actively counter the threat that we pose. And we are not yet ready to become the target of an allied shinobi army."

Konan's clipped tone addressed Pain directly. "So what do you suggest we do?"

Itachi knew what the Leader's response would be. And for a moment the Uchiha wondered how Kakashi Hatake could possibly have planned this far.

Pain's firm voice held an undercurrent of regret. "For now, we retreat. I would have been tempted to use the Hatake's body in my Rikudo technique. But it is impossible to directly control more than six paths."

"So that's it? We're just going to leave?" Hidan sounded incredulous.

Kakuzu answered his partner. "We no longer have anything to gain from this, other than to be engaged in a conflict that we are currently unprepared for. It may have been a pyrrhic victory, but for the moment, Konoha has won."

The Leader nodded. "Kakuzu is right. We will retreat and let Konoha collect their dead. But the next time we go up against the Will of Fire, I will make sure that no one survives to even bury the fallen."

Hidan seemed satisfied by this and one by one Itachi's Brothers began to teleport from the room. Eventually only he and Kakuzu were left. The masked ninja was standing over Kakashi's body, exuding a sense of wistful longing.

"It's a shame that I currently have no room for another heart. Kakashi Hatake's essence would have been well worth absorbing."

Itachi gave a non-committal sound of concurrence, meeting the near-immortal shinobi's eyes as he did so. The Uchiha didn't allow for even a moment of delay, lest the ancient ninja realise what he was doing.

After a few seconds, Kakuzu put one hand into his cloak and pulled out the recipe that he'd been strictly ordered to guard with his life, before letting it drift slowly to the ground. Then he too teleported from the hideout. Itachi deactivated his Sharingan as he stooped to pick up the sheet of parchment, which was covered with Sasori's elegant cursive.

He then made the necessary signs for a localised water jutsu. He watched in satisfaction as the ink bled across the sodden page and all traces of what it had once said were gone. Only Sasori himself had been able to learn the complex recipe by heart, as he was the only one skilled enough to invent such a compound. And of course producing copies of the recipe would have merely increased the chances of it finding its way into enemy hands. Confident that the compound could not be recreated, Itachi began rehearsing what his story to the Leader would be. At some point during the battle it must have fallen from Kakuzu's pocket and got caught up in Kakashi's water jutsu. Kakuzu himself would of course support this story, maybe the genjutsu Itachi'd cast on him would even cause the five-hearted shinobi to recall a direct memory of such a thing happening.

He'd bring it to the Leader to see if they could decipher it, knowing that it would be a wasted effort. Thus Itachi would remain blameless. And no one else would ever be forced by that cruel poison to try and kill the ones they cared about – just as he had been forced to kill his friends and loved-ones all those years ago.

It was then that Itachi turned his attention to Kakashi once more. Looking down at the Hatake's lifeless body, the Uchiha felt paralyzed. And before he could stop them, flashbacks began to assault his mind. He saw images of all the times that he'd been in almost this exact situation. Every ANBU mission where Kakashi had been left unconscious after expending nearly all of his chakra in order to save his comrades, passed before Itachi's eyes. A lifetime ago, he'd been one of those comrades, owing his life to the Copy-Ninja. And more than once it'd been he who'd carried the Hatake's unconscious often wounded body back to the village. But on all of those occasions, Itachi's Sharingan had told him that the stubborn, reckless ANBU whom he'd somehow come to respect, was still alive. This time however, it was different. All of Kakashi's chakra had been spent in order to save his friend. There was no doubt about it. The infamous Copy-Ninja, his former Captain, and the closest thing he'd ever had to an older brother lay dead at his feet. And Itachi could not deny that he was to blame. He sighed, knowing that this meant it was up to him to set things right. But Itachi also knew that if Pain ever found out what he was about to do, death would be by far the least of his concerns.


	14. Eulogy

Chapter 14

Eulogy

The brave group ran on through the final valley, trying hard not to imagine what horrors may await them at their destination. United by grief and determination, these ninja would not rest until they had discovered the fate of the man who had a place in each and every one of their hearts. All twenty-four of them were spurred on by the knowledge that he needed their help. However, there were three of the group in particular to whom this shinobi had meant the most. Silently, as if to give themselves hope, each of these three was fondly recalling their first encounter with the formidable ninja who had come to change their lives forever.

* * *

A six year old Asuma Sarutobi stood to attention with decidedly suppressed excitement. The top two students in his class had been granted the honour of watching this year's pre-Genin graduate into full-fledged ninja. He couldn't help but grin at the thought that, in a couple of years time, that would be him – if he kept his grades high and his skills higher. He'd never been much into working but he always managed to ace each test with a combination of intelligence and sneaking a look at the old answer keys in the archives of Hokage Tower. As much as he found his dad a stifling old busy-body, there were undoubtedly a few perks to being the Hokage's son.

When he'd first joined the Academy, Asuma had quickly realised that one of these perks included instant popularity. People had been desperate to befriend him just to get an inside look at Hokage Tower. His dad even offered to give these awe-filled infants a guided tour; as long as his son was making friends he was happy. But eventually Asuma had realised that these morons were not his real friends. When there'd been rumours going around about the Third Hokage naming his successor some time within the next year, Asuma's 'friends' had promptly lost interest in him. Then when his dad had announced that actually he had no intention of stepping down until the problems with Iwagakure had been resolved, they'd all suddenly been begging to play with him again.

There was only one student in Asuma's class who really didn't seem to care that he was the Hokage's son. At first it'd annoyed him, but he'd soon realised that maybe it was a good thing to be treated like his own person. Although, he hated never knowing where he stood with her. He found it unsurprising that she seemed not to like him, apart from being the Hokage's son, Asuma didn't feel he had much to offer. And he was pretty sure that Kurenai Yuhi felt the same. He'd been surprised to find out that she was the other one selected to witness the graduation. He'd never realised she was smart, and that thought – for some strange reason – made him smile.

He looked over at the small, raven-haired girl. She always seemed so shy and withdrawn, but there was a permanent fire in her auburn eyes that intrigued Asuma, as well as making him feel slightly confused.

She saw him staring at her. He blushed.

"Hi," he mumbled apologetically, wondering where his usual confidence had suddenly disappeared to.

She rolled her eyes and responded briskly, "The ceremony's about to start."

Sure enough, after she'd said this, thirty or so Genin hopefuls filed neatly into the room. Well, some more neatly than others. The eleven and twelve year olds were quite a boisterous bunch, and Asuma could sense the air fill with excitement as many of the students discussed with each other what their first official mission was likely to be. The words, 'infiltration' and 'assassination' were bandied about by most of them; Asuma scoffed at the older kids' stupidity. Like his dad would ever trust these idiots with anything more important than tracking down a lost kitten!

Only one out of the group stayed silent. He'd been at the back of the line when they'd come in. He now stood straight but with his hands tucked firmly into his pockets. Asuma stared at the kid in confusion; he looked much younger than the others; even younger than Asuma himself. He couldn't have been any more than five – if that. Was he lost or something? Had he wandered into the wrong room on his first day at the Academy? He didn't seem to be worried that he was surrounded by people more than twice his size and about three times his age. The little kid wore a mask over half his face, and an untidy mop of silver hair fell in front of his eyes. But what really surprised Asuma was the unmistakable air of confidence emanating from the infant. He almost laughed out loud seeing that tiny boy trying to act like an adult.

However, his analysis of the strange little kid was interrupted when the group's sensei gave him and Kurenai the signal to sit down. They took their seats at the side of the room in the cluster of chairs that would soon be filled by the graduates' parents. The sensei then went to stand at the front of the room and tried to hustle the pre-teens into neat rows. The silver-haired boy took his place at the back and Asuma doubted that the kid could see past his comparatively huge classmates.

Then suddenly, making almost as much noise as their children had, the parents entered the room. They waved to their kids, who grinned excitedly and yelled greetings back. Asuma could hear the parents proudly discussing any achievement that their child could lay claim to. One mother was boasting rather loudly to her friend that her son had mastered the sign of the ram at only six months. The other was quick to respond that he'd probably just been sucking his thumb. Asuma sighed, wondering whether all adults were this pathetic. Then, after all the parents had taken their seats, and the room was just starting to quieten down, one final figure entered.

He was a head taller than even the largest of the fathers, and his flack-jacket did nothing to conceal his muscular frame. Everything about this man exuded raw power. From the way he held himself perfectly erect, to the dangerous looking tanto strapped to his back. But despite his firm posture, he seemed at ease and strolled to his seat with a calm, unhurried gait. He made no visible acknowledgment of the fact that the entire room had turned to stare at him. Well the entire room minus one student, who was still facing the front, although he was now standing a little straighter and had removed his hands from his pockets. Judging by their almost identical appearance – albeit one was a comically miniature version of the other – it seemed that the terrifying shinobi who'd just entered the room was the father of that tiny, out of place brat.

Asuma knew his own father had to be pretty strong; he was the Hokage after all. But he also knew that his old man could never in a million years look as cool as that kid's dad. The parents muttered nervous greetings and quickly moved up to make room for him in the front row. But the overbearing ninja just ignored them and went to sit at the back, at the other end of the row from Asuma and Kurenai. Asuma saw his classmate blush slightly as she glanced at the powerfully built, perfectly featured man. He felt an unexpected pang of annoyance and was pleased when, a moment later, the ceremony began.

One by one each student was called to the front and asked to perform an elemental technique. Asuma saw some of the Uchiha in the group smirk at the challenge. He knew from his classes that most of the clan learned to master fire jutsu before their fifth birthday. And sure enough, as the few Uchiha were called up, they all produced a small fireball, which although was enough to elicit a round of applause, luckily did not manage to ignite the whole classroom. Some students took a few attempts but they all managed some basic form of elemental technique, from producing gentle breezes, to small trickles of water, to unsightly clumps of mud. So far, the Uchiha were clearly the most skilled of the bunch. And by the smug looks on their faces, they certainly seemed to think so too.

There had only been one parent who hadn't joined in with the collective applause for these gifted students. It was the same one who'd come in last and sat apart from everyone else. Clearly the little kid's dad was not a big fan of ceremonious occasions, or arrogant children for that matter. The whole time, he'd just sat there arms folded with a bored expression etched onto his chiselled features. But when the time now finally came for his son to be put to the test, a look of analytical intensity entered his ebony eyes.

"Hatake Kakashi," the sensei called from the front of the room.

Hatake… where had he heard that name before? Then suddenly realisation dawned on Asuma. He gasped loudly enough to draw Kurenai's attention.

"What?" she hissed.

"That guy!" Asuma whispered gesturing not so subtly to the imposing figure sitting at the end of their row. "He's Sakumo Hatake. The Sakumo Hatake. Konoha's White Fang!"

"Obviously," she replied, rolling her eyes.

The man in question had the shadow of an amused smile playing gracefully about his lips, clearly having heard every word of their exchange. But the elite ninja quickly turned his attention back to where his son was making his way steadily up to the front of the room. Asuma heard some of the mothers cooing over the tiny child and some of the fathers chuckling softly with more than a touch of scorn. But an almost inaudible growl from the White Fang shut them all up instantly.

The sensei smiled affectionately at the little kid. "So Kakashi, what jutsu are you going to try for us today? Don't worry if it doesn't work first time. Just keep at it."

Asuma couldn't help smirking as the miniature Hatake glared at his teacher. He also saw Sakumo smile pityingly at the sensei's comment.

The kid's voice was unbelievably authoritative for someone of his diminutive stature. "I'm going to perform a technique that I've been working on. It's called Raiton Chakra Sphere. However it's still incomplete."

"That's fine Kakashi, as long as you manage to give your chakra elemental composition. But are you sure you don't want to try something a bit more… um… basic?"

The withering look that Kakashi directed at his sensei made Asuma's smirk widen. The Hatake didn't even bother responding to his teacher's inane comment. Instead he began to form signs with his tiny hands at an almost untraceable speed. Asuma saw the parents all sit up a bit straighter at that.

Then the little boy put his hands together before slowly drawing them apart. As he did so a florescent ball of turquoise light began to form into a perfect sphere between his palms. And as the sphere grew brighter, a soft chirping sound started to resonate through the room. Asuma gawped at the sight of this kid literally holding a ball of concentrated lightning in his hands. The teacher's eyes widened and most of the parents' mouths fell open. They clearly had never seen a technique like this before.

"This kid must be some kind of genius!" muttered Asuma incredulously, although fortunately this awe-filled comment was drowned out by the unbelievable noise of the jutsu.

Sakumo Hatake's face however, was still stern and his eyes were narrowed. Asuma got the feeling that he was weighing up the scope of such a technique and, more importantly, the ways in which it could be improved. When the chirping reached its climax, Kakashi allowed the ball of lightning to explode in a shower of bright blue sparks. The sensei grinned proudly, and the kids squealed with excitement as the sparks rained down upon them. Then the parents – forgetting their former scepticism – all stood up and applauded loudly.

Kakashi seemed not to notice the attention; he took his headband with gracious indifference and returned to his place in the back row as the applause slowly died down. But as he'd been the last called up, the ceremony was concluded and the graduates were dismissed with some generic advice from their sensei on how to be the best ninja they could be. Then all the parents went to congratulate their children, with much hugging and promises of their favourite dinners. Well, all except one. Sakumo Hatake got to his feet and without even looking towards his son, began to leave the room. Kakashi followed him silently, his eyes fixed intently on his father's back.

As he passed Asuma, the masked boy looked towards him and for a moment their eyes met. Kakashi raised one eyebrow and Asuma smirked in response. Something passed between them in that moment, as clear as if words had been spoken. Asuma then watched as Kakashi drew level with his father. As the two reached the door, the White Fang placed one hand on his son's head and ruffled his hair. And for the first time, Asuma saw the little boy smile.

He knew without a doubt that they would meet again someday; hopefully when he was a graduate himself. And somehow he felt that he and Kakashi Hatake might just end up becoming friends. After all, Asuma had to admit, he liked the kid's style.

* * *

Genma Shiranui walked through the streets of Konoha with pride. Admittedly his Chunin vest was a little on the large side, but he didn't care. To become Chunin at only thirteen, although not unprecedented, still felt pretty good. He twirled a senbon around in his fingers before placing it contentedly into his mouth. Those needles had come in handy during the final round. He almost felt sorry for the kid who'd been reduced to a human porcupine.

He wondered what his first mission as a Chunin would be. For once he actually felt like making an effort. The sooner he proved his strength, the sooner he'd get sent on solo missions and the sooner he'd be free of his unbearable team. Not that Genma particularly disliked his team-members as individuals, but he worked best alone. And he hated not being able to have things how he wanted them all the time. Plus they got pissed off with him a lot. They tended to call him a stubborn bastard, and he tended to point out that he was only being stubborn because he was right. But Genma never really cared what people thought of him. He was who he was. And everyone else could either accept that, or go to hell.

Eventually Genma's destination came into view; he had to physically stop himself from quickening his pace. He'd seem more capable if he acted cool, and not too eager. He was a Chunin now, not some pathetic little Genin. And so, as Hokage Tower rose up before him, he ignored the guards posted on the entrance and made his way steadily to the Missions' Wing, ready to pick up his team's next assignment. They still had the same old sensei, but now that Genma was a Chunin he'd have more of a say in things – and he certainly wasn't complaining about that.

However, as he entered the Missions' Room, it became clear that there was a problem. Every missions' clerk had left their desk and was gathered around a figure that Genma couldn't quite make out. He advanced far enough into the room to overhear their conversation, but not far enough to be noticed.

"It simply can't be true," one of the clerks stated adamantly.

The person at the centre of the group responded in a voice that held a boy's timbre but a man's authority. "It is true. Iwa has betrayed us and intends to join sides with our enemies in the war."

"But that's impossible; we formed an official alliance with the Tsuchikage himself!" another clerk protested.

The boy's voice was full of contempt. "Do you really think that treaties mean anything in war? If you don't trust the information I've gathered, then you shouldn't have chosen my cell for this mission. The rules of this village state that upon the emergence of any threat to village safety, a report must be filed to the Hokage immediately."

After an uncertain pause, one of the clerks responded. His patronising tone had a definitive edge of impatience to it. "Look, kid. Why don't you just go home to daddy and let the grown-ups take care of this?"

Genma didn't have to strain to hear the low growl that'd escaped from the kid's lips at the mention of the word 'daddy'. The sound must have been matched by an equally intimidating glare, as a couple of the clerks took half a step backwards. This gave Genma a slightly better view of the boy, albeit only of his back. He was of comparatively small stature but held himself proudly, he had a tanto strapped to his back and armour plates were visible on his forearms. But judging by his size, Genma guessed that he couldn't have been any more than ten.

The final clerk in the circle spoke in a slightly calmer tone. "I understand your concern, but Lord Hokage is very busy right now and cannot be disturbed."

Genma could almost feel the kid rolling his eyes at this dismissive statement.

And he spoke with clear disdain. "In that case, I'll come back later. Because regardless of whether you trust me, I will not break village protocol by allowing Konoha's citizens to die needlessly."

With that, the young ninja turned his back on the group and began to stride purposefully from the room. For the first time, Genma had a clear view of the kid's face. Well of the parts of his face that weren't obscured by his mask and wild silver hair. His dark eyes shone with defiance. And the depth of his gaze made him seem a lot older than his stature suggested.

Forgetting for a moment why he'd come there in the first place, Genma found himself compelled to follow the strange kid. He wanted to find out more about the little boy who'd managed to stand up to four adult ninja.

After the door had closed behind them, the tiny shinobi turned to face Genma, his voice was cold and bitterly sarcastic. "Enjoy the show?"

Genma shrugged. "I didn't have a great view."

The kid's face then became deadly serious. "What you heard in there is classified information. Spill one word of it, and I'll have to kill you."

Genma smirked. "I'd like to see you try."

Then, in a blur of silver and white, Genma found himself pinned against the wall of the corridor with the kid's glowing tanto hovering an inch from his throat.

He made his voice as indifferent as he could in this embarrassing position. "I didn't necessarily mean right now."

The boy growled but lowered his weapon. His voice was suspicious. "I could've killed you and you didn't even flinch."

Genma almost laughed. "I don't care how full of yourself you are. To me you're just a brat with an attitude problem."

The boy's response was like lightening. "Well I suppose it's only natural that you wouldn't be afraid of someone who reminds you of yourself."

Genma couldn't help smirking at that. "Luckily not when it comes to size. Plus, based on what you said in there, you don't strike me as the type who goes around killing shinobi of his own village."

"You don't know anything about me," the kid responded darkly.

Genma sighed, clearly he was getting nowhere. He decided to take a more direct approach. "Alright then, what's your name? I'm Genma Shiranui – Chunin." He said that last part in as much of an offhand manner as he could.

At first he thought the boy wasn't going to respond but eventually he said, "My name's Kakashi Hatake. I'm an actual Chunin. Meaning I've held that rank for more than just a few hours. Maybe when you've been at it a bit longer, they'll give you a vest that fits."

With that Kakashi put his hands together in a sign that Genma recognised from his old Academy textbooks. A moment later he vanished in a puff of smoke. The fact that this annoyingly skilled kid had gotten the last word pissed Genma off more than he was willing to admit. And for that reason, he couldn't help hoping that he'd see him again. Just so he could say that it was obvious the brat wasn't wearing a Chunin vest himself because they didn't make them in baby sizes.

As Genma tried to cast his mind back to the reason he'd come there in the first place, Kakashi's scornful, deadpan voice kept echoing in his head. He couldn't help but smile. It seemed he'd finally found someone able to match his sarcasm, as well as his stubbornness. And who knows? He might even have found someone worthy of being called comrade.

* * *

Tenzo raced through the trees, Yugao just behind him. The enemy ninja were getting closer by the second. As their first ANBU mission, this was supposed to have been a simple recon task, find the base of operations for a certain band of Rogue Ninja and report back. Tracking them down had been the easy part. This particular band liked to leave their mark on the pastoral civilian villages that they habitually laid waste to. Following the trail of destruction north-west out of Konoha – even with no survivors to confirm their route – had not been all too difficult. And eventually they'd managed to find the Rogue Ninja's hideout in that small uninhabited area between the Land of Fire and Kusagakure.

Up until that point, everything had been going well. However, they hadn't expected those Rogue Ninja to be lying in wait for them. Ready to launch an ambush as soon as they arrived. Immediately upon realising that their presence had been detected, Tenzo had called for back-up. But he had no idea whether anyone had received his urgent message. For all he knew, they could be out of wireless range by now. And so they'd been left with no option other than to flee – considering that he did not count certain death by trying to face the twenty-strong band with just two of them an option. He checked to see whether Yugao was keeping up, before increasing his pace. Neither of them deserved to die before their sixteenth birthday.

Yugao's exhausted voice carried over to him. "We can't keep this up forever. They'll catch up with us any minute. We should hide and wait for them to pass."

Tenzo could see that Yugao was near the end of her stamina, and he had to admit that he didn't have much left in him either. And so, making sure that they were out of sight of the enemy, the two of them broke away from the route they'd been travelling and plunged deeper into the web of interlocking trees. He let Yugao run ahead as he filled-in the trail they'd left behind with wooden pillars that quickly transformed into trees identical to the ones surrounding them. He couldn't help but be pleased that his Wood Jutsu was coming in useful. After all, he knew that harbouring the First Hokage's DNA was the main reason he'd been assigned to the ANBU in the first place.

Once he'd found a secure place for them to conceal themselves, Tenzo waited: ever alert for any sound of the group passing. But none came. And after half an hour, he and Yugao decided that the Rogue Ninja were likely to have lost their scent and given up the chase. Maybe this band wasn't as formidable as he'd first thought. Cautiously, they returned to the path that would lead them back to Konoha, where they could deliver the info they'd gathered on their first safely completed ANBU mission.

But as soon as they exited the sheltered area they'd been hiding in, Tenzo's uneasiness began to return. Something felt wrong. And he had a sneaking suspicion that things were not going to be as simple as he'd initially hoped. It was much too calm, too silent by half. But that all changed a moment later. From all sides, leaping down from the trees, the enemies that they thought they'd escaped surrounded them.

One of them took a step towards the ANBU pair. He was of mountainous proportions, and deep crevices scarred his mud-coloured skin. There was a sadistic glint in his mesmerising opal eyes that showed just why he'd broken away from the confines of shinobi civilisation. He was clearly the leader of the group, and spoke in a callous, guttural voice. "We will not allow the information you've discovered to be reported back to your village. You will die here, Konoha scum!"

With that, the Rogue Ninja attacked as one. Tenzo couldn't even create a wood shield fast enough to block them all. And so he was forced to dodge the series of attacks that got around his jutsu. He then unsheathed his standard-issue katana that he was still unused to using.

He heard a deep voice shout. "Take the girl alive! We could have some fun with that one!"

Another responded uncertainly, "Looks too young to me, you sure?"

A third harsh voice broke in, "She'll do. Just get rid of her little boyfriend first."

Tenzo felt disgusted. He had to do something fast. But before he had a chance to even move, a strong, clear voice, which promised pain in every syllable rang out through the clearing.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

Tenzo watched in awe as Yugao launched herself at the enemy. She moved her katana with such grace that it could easily have been an extension of her arm. With no desire to be outdone by his team-mate, Tenzo began to put his Mokuton techniques to good use on the Rogue Ninja around him. For a few minutes it even seemed as though the two of them could overpower their twenty foes. But that was wishful thinking.

When there were only twelve of them left, the enemy fell back to re-group and the ANBU were left panting. Tenzo straightened up and readied his katana; now that he felt more confident wielding it. This time the enemy did not advance all at once. But enough came so that both ANBU soon had their hands full. Tenzo staggered back to avoid the thrust of an enemy blade and gasped as it gave him a clear view of more Rogue Ninja approaching Yugao from behind. Before she could respond, they pushed her roughly to the ground and the leader who'd begun the attack stood over her triumphantly, the point of his sword poised above her neck.

Tenzo tried to fight his way through the enemies around him, but found himself on the verge of being overpowered. Three Rogue Ninja gripped his arms and pinned them behind his back with a force that his body simply had not developed enough to counter.

Then the leader hissed in a deep, sinister tone, "Try any tricks and the bitch dies right here… Or worse."

Tenzo saw Yugao trying to control her look of desperation. He began to feel that all hope was lost. He clearly wasn't cut out for this. It was just like everyone said: he was simply a vessel for the cells of a much greater man. He had no talent, no worth of his own. He couldn't even protect the first comrade who'd ever treated him as something other than the product of a twisted experiment.

Tenzo was just about to resign himself to despair when out of nowhere he heard the most unexpected sound. It was a low growl. So menacing that Tenzo couldn't help but shudder. The Rogue Ninja froze and looked around them, confusion plain on their faces. Then suddenly Tenzo saw a flash of red and white – an ANBU mask! He sighed with heartfelt relief, knowing that finally back-up had arrived.

One moment the group's leader was positioned over Yugao, holding his blade at the ready. The next he was lying sprawled on the ground with his own katana being levelled at his jugular by this mysterious new arrival. The rest of the group was shocked into inaction and in one fluid movement Yugao rose to her feet and readied her weapon once more. Then the ANBU who'd just saved both their lives spoke. His firm voice commanded respect and Tenzo couldn't help standing a little straighter in response to the shinobi's tone, even though he wasn't the one being addressed.

"What business do you have with Konoha ANBU?"

The leader leered menacingly. "Only death." He spat at the ANBU's feet, which was the only part of the ninja's body accessible to him from his compromising position.

The rest of the group began to close in around this seemingly fearless Operative, even as he made his response.

"As you wish," he replied simply.

He stabbed the katana down through the leader's throat; not even bothering to remove the blade after his kill, as he drew his own weapon instead. And as he watched this elite ANBU so calmly dispatch the enemy leader, Tenzo's breath caught and his eyes widened in shock and admiration.

Then, before the rest of the group – riled by their leader's shameful death – had even had a chance to attack, the nameless Operative had landed amongst them. He immediately began to fell the enemy with movements faster than Tenzo could track. His every motion was so perfectly refined that Tenzo felt stunned just watching. But he soon realised that this new arrival – however invincible he may seem – might need help against so many of the enemy. Yugao appeared to have come to the same conclusion and together they joined the battle.

But immediately Tenzo sensed that the power of the enemy had increased in proportion to their lust for vengeance. He found himself trying to fend off more attacks than he could handle. And one look in Yugao's direction confirmed that she was having the same difficulty. Tenzo saw a gap open in Yugao's defences and one of the enemy was heading right for it, but there was no way he could reach her in time. Even as he'd turned to look, another blade had come arcing towards him, it was too late to avoid it.

Then suddenly, the enemy wielding the weapon was repelled backwards by what Tenzo quickly realised was a kick to the chest delivered by their ANBU saviour. The deadly Operative immediately changed direction and leapt towards where the Rogue Ninja's katana was only an inch away from impaling Yugao. He pushed her out of the way with his left hand, while in his right hand, a turquoise ball of pure energy sprang suddenly to life. Tenzo stared open mouthed as the ANBU thrust his glowing palm through the enemy's chest – and out the other side! But even as he did so, the Rogue's blade slid deep into the side of the Operative's body.

With an air of being used to such things, he pulled the weapon loose and deposited the enemy's lifeless form onto the ground. Without even bothering to check his wound, the ninja returned to battle the remaining few enemy. With movements faster than lightning, all that was left of the Rogue Ninja were dispatched by the same awe-inspiring technique that the ANBU had used to save Yugao.

As soon as Tenzo was sure it was over, he came running to the ANBU's side. His heart was filled with gratitude and with shame. He couldn't believe he'd ever thought the enemy had lost their trail. He felt pathetic. Tenzo barely even noticed Yugao join him. He looked up at the man who'd saved their lives, trying to think of what on Earth he could do to thank him – let alone repay him.

But before he'd managed to utter even a single word, the formidable shinobi spoke. "As ANBU, certain things are unacceptable. One is dropping your guard. Another is making assumptions. And a third is underestimating your enemy."

Yugao's tone was insolent, but Tenzo had a feeling that this was born primarily out of embarrassment. "So if we broke the rules then why did you save us?"

The ANBU sighed, before responding after a long pause, "That's a good question."

He then lifted up one gloved hand and removed his porcelain mask. This revealed another mask of dark cloth concealing the majority of his face as well as a wave of unruly silver hair, which swept carelessly across the ANBU's brow. But the visible part of his face had a youthful quality that suggested he was younger than Tenzo had originally thought. Perhaps only a few years older than himself. Tenzo noticed a thin scar running vertically over the ninja's left eye. And he almost exclaimed aloud when he saw the blood red orb – instantly recognisable as a Sharingan – residing only in this iris, and contrasting greatly with his other onyx eye. This was clearly no Uchiha. And yet somehow he possessed the greatest gift of Konoha's most prestigious clan. The profound connection that Tenzo felt to the ANBU deepened. Was it possible that this man also had to live with the constant responsibility of honouring some departed hero's legacy?

The mismatched gaze of the Operative darkened slightly and he continued, "Perhaps it would have been more efficient to let you both die and instead focus on capturing one of the enemy for interrogation. That certainly would have given Konoha the information they needed much sooner. And the ANBU code states that missions are to be completed with the maximum degree of efficiency. That probably would have been the better choice, as those who break the ANBU code, and equally the rules of the village, are branded as scum. However, I have my own code. And it states that those who abandon their comrades are even lower than scum."

For a moment, there was a profound sorrow evident on the ANBU's face, but as he replaced his mask, it was hidden. Tenzo was overwhelmed by the Operative's words, even though he wasn't sure that he fully understood them yet. Still, he was touched by the fact that – whoever this ninja was – he thought of them as comrades.

Tenzo tried to keep his voice steady as he addressed the man who, in a matter of minutes had turned his whole world upside-down. "You saved our lives, but who are you?"

This time Tenzo could see the ANBU's eyes curve into a smile behind his Wolf-shaped mask.

He replied in a casual, even cheerful manner, "I am Kakashi Hatake. But for now, you can call me Senpai."

* * *

Those were their first impressions of that indescribable man. He made them into the people that they are to this day. Yet not one of them had ever admitted aloud how much he meant to them. And as their destination loomed up in front of them, they all prayed that it wouldn't be too late to do so. Asuma shook himself from his reverie and looked towards Genma. The Tokubetsu Jonin gradually removed himself from his elegiac reminiscences and met the eyes of his comrade. The two then turned to Yamato, but the ANBU was still lost in painful memory; his eyes were unfocussed. But as he pulled himself together, he turned to face his friends. The three of them each hardened their expressions, as if trying to remove themselves from grief and trepidation. Whatever awaited them, they would face it together. And hold onto the hope that the one who had united them could still be saved.


	15. Resurrection

Chapter 15

Resurrection

The entire village was on edge. For the past few days they'd been in the dark and leaderless. However, anything was better than the cruel dictatorship that they'd previously been forced to endure. Every person could sense the mounting tension. Somewhere, at some point, something big was about to happen. Something that would end up affecting them all. And so in hushed and hopeful voices they all prayed for the success of a certain man. Regardless of what their self-appointed leader had said, they viewed this man as a true hero. He was willing to exile, vilify, and ultimately sacrifice himself for all their sakes. And the thought of losing him was as devastating as the thought of losing the village itself.

* * *

Alone in the chamber, Itachi looked down at his former comrade's lifeless form. For a moment the Uchiha fixed his gaze upon the scar running over Kakashi's left eye. He understood all too well the price at which the Hatake's Sharingan had been bought. Perhaps that was why even after he'd broken all ties to Konoha, Itachi had never been able to sever the link that bound him to the Copy-Ninja. They both carried the weight of the dead on their conscience. They both wondered every day how it might feel to see their loved ones again. And they were both willing to lay down their lives for the few loved ones they had left. The only difference was that Kakashi had now actually done this.

And Itachi had decided that it was up to him to undo it. He was acutely aware that with each passing moment Konoha was getting closer, and the chances of arousing Pain's suspicion with his late arrival were increasing. His fate was poised on a knife-edge, and he knew that he had to act fast.

The Uchiha knelt by Kakashi's side and activated his Sharingan. He then scanned the rods still marring the Copy-Ninja's perfectly hewn body. They were dormant, and none of Pain's chakra resided in them anymore. The Rinnegan bearer would no longer be able to receive any signal that they may emit.

These were the conditions that Itachi had been relying on. And so there was nothing preventing him from proceeding any further. He sighed and looked at the closed eyes of the man whom he was finally about to repay for years of unconditional comradeship.

The largest rod was positioned directly over the circulating centre of Kakashi's Keirakukei. It was this chakra receiver that distributed power to all of the others, and ultimately around the entire Chakra Network. Itachi had no idea whether his desperate gambit would work. But for Kakashi's sake, it was worth a try.

He channelled chakra into the centre of his right palm before placing his hand gently on top of the primary rod. He was careful not to push the implement even further into Kakashi's already wounded body. At first, nothing appeared to happen. His chakra remained in his palm and the rod remained dormant.

After a full minute, Itachi began to reason that perhaps there was nothing he could do after all. But still, he did not move from his current position. And after another thirty seconds, fate finally decided to reward his patience. The Uchiha felt an almost imperceptible pull as the tiniest amount of chakra was absorbed by the rod. His heart rate quickened as finally his plan began to work.

Now that the connection had been established, Itachi started to feed more of his chakra into Kakashi's motionless body. This continued until the Uchiha felt confident that the energy would remain even after the connection had been broken. He had made sure not to use so much chakra that the Leader would notice the depletion of his supplies and become suspicious. And so Itachi had now reached the point where there was no more that he could do.

This was by no means a permanent solution. If Kakashi didn't respond to the chakra injection, then the energy would eventually fade away and he would return to his state of total chakra exhaustion. And death. But there truly was nothing more that Itachi could do. He had to leave before Konoha arrived and before the others started to wonder where he was. He had wanted to also disable the barrier jutsu blocking the hideout's entrance. But he couldn't risk opening the door only to be greeted by a full unit of Konoha ANBU as well as the Hokage herself. There were other ways of countering the barrier technique. Although he couldn't help but hope – for Kakashi's sake – that not too many ANBU would have to sacrifice their lives in the process.

As Itachi prepared to teleport from the room, he took one last look at Kakashi's still form. From here on out, the Copy-Ninja's life lay in Konoha's hands. And the Uchiha knew that Kakashi's comrades would go to any lengths in order to save their most loyal friend. But time was running out. Itachi's Sharingan confirmed that the chakra he'd given the Jonin was already starting to dissipate. He only hoped that there'd be enough to last the Hatake until his comrades arrived.

Itachi frowned. However much he reasoned with himself, he could not shake the feeling that, one way or another, this would be the final time that he'd set eyes on the Copy-Ninja. Itachi could only imagine what the Leader would do to him if he ever discovered what he'd done. And of course there was every possibility that he would be discovered – in spite of his attempts to be cautious. But whatever happened, the Uchiha knew that he would feel no remorse for his actions. He had done only what would have been done for him. And if Pain ended up punishing him for that, then so be it.

He raised his hands into the needed sign, never once shifting his gaze from the body of his former comrade. Itachi smirked, remembering the first time he'd been assigned to the Copy-Ninja's ANBU squad. He found himself repeating the same words he'd uttered upon realising that his supposed captain was only a few years older than him.

"It's a good thing I can take care of myself."

* * *

Through a fog of tangible blackness, Kakashi saw a distant aura of orange light. Then, without having consciously moved, he began to walk towards it. But as the source of the light became clearer, he stopped in momentary confusion. It was a campfire.

Amid the darkness, there was this one feeble beacon to guide him. But Kakashi's body would no longer move. He focused intently on the fire ahead and was just about able to discern a lone figure – whose back was turned to him – sitting beside it. Kakashi's heart would have missed a beat, if he'd been sure that it was beating at all. He'd recognise that back anywhere, having spent the greater part of his childhood following it with pride. And the lesser part trying to suppress all lasting memory of it.

He felt his chest tighten as the realisation sunk in that his father was sitting only a matter of meters away – if those measurements meant anything here. But his body still would not move. Was there something that even now bound him to the world he'd left behind?

As if in response to this question, the darkness around him began to fade. The black was slowly tuning to white, but instead of making his view clearer, Kakashi found that the image of the fire, the image of his father, was slipping further from sight.

He tried to call out to the man whose sacrifice had shaped his entire life. But the White Fang did not turn. Kakashi tried to raise his voice, to scream for his father to notice him. But the sound was swallowed up by the pearly haze, which was now so bright that simply looking into it was excruciating.

But Kakashi refused to close his eyes or divert his gaze from his father's back, even as it faded completely from view. The pain in his head increased and he had to fight to keep from closing his eyes against it. Kakashi felt that as soon as he allowed his eyes to close, it would all be over. Before he'd even had a chance to discover what 'it' was.

Just as he felt himself about to lose the battle, the blinding white light began to diffuse into a much kinder shade of yellow. Then a sound came to him from out of the golden mist. It was the one voice that matched this hue perfectly. It laughed – as it always did – in a manner that challenged the very existence of hardship.

"Come on 'Kashi. Surely you've realised by now that this isn't your time."

Minato-Sensei? The words flashed through Kakashi's mind and straight away the laughter that he hadn't heard in well over a decade increased.

"Yep, it's me," his Sensei answered simply, probably giving Kakashi time to process the fact that he could read his mind.

For his own part, the Copy-Ninja wasn't particularly fazed. It was hardly as if he'd expected the Spirit Realm to be governed by the same laws as the World of the Living. But that did not mean that there weren't a million and one questions coursing through his mind.

"Why was my father here? And why couldn't I speak to him? And why can't I see you? And where am I anyway?" he asked mentally, realising that speech was useless.

Kakashi couldn't remember a time when he'd asked his Sensei so many confused questions. But as with everything else, the Fourth Hokage seemed to take it all in his stride.

"I can't answer all of your questions right now. But I can tell you that you'll see your father again soon enough."

"And you?" Kakashi thought, noticing the emphasis that his Sensei had placed on the word father, as if he would see no one else.

"That may take a bit longer," Minato responded cryptically. His Sensei's cheerful voice gave the impression that he knew precisely what was in store for Kakashi but was determined not to let him in on the secret.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" Kakashi thought, smirking.

"Maybe not," Minato replied in a pensive tone, "but you sure have. All these years, I've watched you grow. And I have to say, I've never been prouder."

Kakashi smiled despite himself. In the presence of his Sensei, he felt like a thirteen year old kid again. But his happiness was short lived, as a force stronger and more profound than any he'd ever encountered began pulling him away from this peaceful setting.

"Don't worry Kakashi," his Sensei addressed him in the exact same soothing tone as he'd always done, "you'll be fine. And we will meet again… eventually. Thank you so much for watching over Naruto. You're like the father he never had." Minato's voice faltered. "I only wish…"

He broke off, and Kakashi wanted nothing more than to reach out to him. But he wasn't there, and the golden light had already begun to fade. The emerging darkness had none of the supernatural quality that had tainted the previous murky fog. Kakashi sighed, and the fact that he could hear himself was enough to confirm his suspicions. He was alive.

It took a while for Kakashi to process where he was, and to remember just how he'd gotten there. But when the memories eventually came back to him – in painstaking detail – he couldn't help but long for his ignorance to return. But this clearly wasn't going to happen, so Kakashi decided that he might as well put his time to good use by trying to work out what exactly was going on.

He was alone, that much he was sure of. But where the Akatsuki had gone to, he had no idea. He looked down at the chakra rods riddling his body. And Kakashi was glad that – for the moment – he was still beyond pain. But as soon as he lifted his head from the damp stone floor, this promptly ceased to be the case.

He gritted his teeth against the agony and tried to sit up, managing only to raise himself an inch before collapsing onto his back once more. He briefly considered removing the rods, but swiftly decided that this would do more harm than good in the long run. The majority of the pain was radiating from the centre rod, and Kakashi was surprised to see it glowing faintly in the darkness. Cautiously he moved one hand to touch it.

Instantly a jolt of searing energy caused his body to convulse. Images flashed unbidden through Kakashi's mind. And they quickly revealed to him exactly what had come to pass from the moment of his death to his ultimate revival. The experience left him stunned, although he couldn't be sure whether this was from the intense pain that'd been sent coursing through his system, or the shock of discovering that it was Itachi who'd saved him.

None of this had been a part of Kakashi's plan. He hadn't conveniently factored in his own resurrection. But the momentary connection that he'd just had to Itachi's mind, had shown him exactly why the Uchiha had done it. And he also now understood why he would probably never see his one time comrade again. Itachi was dying. And the only reason that the Uchiha had managed to keep himself alive this long, was in order for Sasuke to achieve the vengeance he craved.

Kakashi knew that there was much more to this compelling revelation than met the eye, but his glimpse into Itachi's mind had not allowed him access to it. Perhaps he would never know the true story of Itachi Uchiha. For some time, he reflected on his past with the young shinobi. Knowing that the death of someone he'd once counted as a comrade was all but inevitable was a difficult thing to face. And as he pondered this sad truth, Kakashi almost didn't notice the distorted sounds reaching him from somewhere beyond the chamber.

It was then that another part of Itachi's memory came back to him. Apparently, there was a barrier blocking the hideout's entrance that could only be safely undone from the inside. Kakashi had known that his comrades would set off as soon as his lightning wall had disappeared – after all he had been counting on this in order to convince the Akatsuki to flee. But he hadn't known that trying to break through the hideout's barrier by force could easily end in fatality.

Instinctively, Kakashi analysed the various possibilities. His most accessible option right now was to do nothing. In which case he would be allowing his comrades to risk their lives by trying to break through the barrier. And even if they managed it, taking too long would cause their efforts to prove futile. Because – as Kakashi was painfully aware – the chakra he'd been given would only last a limited amount of time. Granted it could be used to restart his own chakra circulation, but that would only be possible through medical ninjutsu; if any of the ANBU were skilled enough, that is. Thus inaction risked not only the lives of his comrades, but potentially his own life as well. Plus, the idea of doing nothing – in any situation – never really sat well with the Copy-Ninja.

And so the most appealing option was to undo the barrier himself, from the inside. But naturally this course of action had its problems too. For one thing, Kakashi had no idea where the entrance to the hideout was relative to his current position, or whether he could reach it before Itachi's donated chakra ran out. Especially considering how unsuccessful his last attempt at moving had been. And even if he made it there, he might still be too late to stop one of his comrades from trying to break through and dying in the process. And even if he managed to get up, find the entrance, and do all that quickly enough that he and his comrades were still living, he would surely use up the remaining chakra he'd been given by undoing barrier. And if that were to happen then Kakashi knew that he would die… again.

So none of his options were great, but Kakashi decided that any option that would minimise the risk of his comrades' deaths was good enough. And so, for the second time, he attempted to rise. The pain hit him even sooner than before, but this time the thought of protecting his friends gave Kakashi the strength he needed to withstand it. When he was in a fully seated position, he stopped for a moment, panting and could feel beads of sweat trickling down his back. But he didn't allow himself a long respite, this pain would persist whether he tried to rest his body or not.

Physical exhaustion was severely limiting Kakashi's movements, and he was finding his limbs infuriatingly unresponsive. But somehow the Jonin managed to manoeuvre his body into a crouch. And then painfully slowly, Kakashi forced himself to his feet. For a moment he feared that his legs would not support him and he'd be back to square one again. But his will to remain standing conquered his body's resistance. Although Kakashi strongly felt that this could change at any moment. He cursed the fact that he was standing in the centre of the room. If he could somehow make it to one of the walls, then at least it would give him something to lean against.

This became the Copy-Ninja's new objective, even as the sounds outside grew louder. Clearly he was running out of time. Imploring his body not to give up on him yet, Kakashi staggered to the side of the room. Then, with immense difficulty, he made his way around to the arched door, letting the unyielding stone take the majority of his weight.

By this point Kakashi was more than ready to collapse, but instead of allowing this to happen, he tried to somehow discern the direction of the hideout's entrance. It was difficult to pinpoint the origin of the vague noises outside, especially as they were echoed and distorted by the hideout's stone walls. And so instead, Kakashi tried to focus on the smell and quality of the air in each direction.

He couldn't be completely sure, but the path on his right seemed to have a slightly fresher scent. And so, with as much haste as his injured body would allow, Kakashi continued on in this direction. Hoping as he did so that exhaustion hadn't confused his senses.

But surprisingly – considering his track record with luck so far – his olfactory talents hadn't failed him. With each agonising step, the air felt clearer. Until, eventually, the hideout's entrance was in sight. There was a giant boulder blocking the end of the passage, but with the application of chakra from the inside, Kakashi knew that it would lift up and free him from the Akatsuki's lair.

He could hear the voices outside clearly now, but he did not pause to identify the ones that he recognised. Whoever it was on the other side, Kakashi would not let them die for his sake. And so, the Copy-Ninja placed both of his hands onto the boulder's smooth surface. He then pushed his severely diminished supply of chakra into the rock until the stone began to vibrate. Having done all he could, Kakashi allowed his vision to fade. He felt himself falling but was vaguely aware of not hitting the ground. He smiled even as consciousness left him. Finally the Copy-Ninja knew that – whatever happened – he was in good hands.

* * *

Tsunade stood at the entrance to the Akatsuki's hideout, dreading what awaited her inside. The sensory specialists among the ANBU had confirmed that there was no chakra detectable within strong enough to sustain human life. And so they had surmised that the small chakra signature they had picked up was the energy that had been infused into the hideout's barrier jutsu. And thus, breaking this barrier had become their top priority.

The Hokage was of course relieved that the Akatsuki had fled, but at the same time she feared that they may have taken Kakashi with them. And if this was the case then she would have happily gone to the ends of the Earth to retrieve him. And she had a feeling that the majority of the group behind her would do the same. But in order to ascertain whether this would be necessary, they first had to gain entrance to the hideout.

Tsunade found it bitterly ironic that the one man who knew more than anyone in Konoha about barrier jutsu was the one potentially stuck on the other side of it. And so she had to turn to the second most knowledgeable person in this field… which, annoyingly, was herself.

It was immediately apparent that no amount of strength alone would be enough to break the chakra-infused boulder, which served as the hideout's entrance barrier. And yet the precise application of chakra from the inside would likely cause it to just slide away. However, there was a possibility that if she combined a large enough chakra injection with a powerful enough shattering force, the barrier might not be able to withstand it. Although there was an equally high possibility that neither would she. But that was a risk that the Fifth Hokage was willing to take.

With her mind made up, Tsunade took a firm step towards the barrier. But before she could so much as raise her hand, a breathless ANBU teleported in beside her.

"Lady Hokage, our scout team has just informed us that Root have entered the valley."

It took a lot of self-control at that moment to stop the Hokage from cursing aloud. Instead she gritted her teeth and replied, "Right, well we'd better get this barrier open then."

Asuma to her left sounded dubious. "Somehow this doesn't strike me as a great idea."

"Correct," Tsunade replied sharply. "It's a terrible idea. But unfortunately it's all we have. So why don't you just shut up and let me get on with it?"

Those surrounding her stepped back silently, giving the Hokage more room to work. And Tsunade didn't need to have Kakashi's ninjutsu expertise to know that what she was about to attempt was extremely dangerous.

With a sigh she channelled chakra into her right fist and drew her arm back. She then sprang forward, ready to shatter the barrier with a combination of chakra control and brute strength. But as she was midway through the motion, a noise from within made her stop short. Her fist came to rest a hair's width away from the boulder's smooth, grey surface. She let her arm fall to her side and watched in shock as the gigantic rock began to vibrate.

Then, with a noise akin to nails scraping across a chalkboard, the entire slab of stone started to grind its way up over the rocky frame surrounding it. It came to a halt, revealing the hideout's shadowy entrance. But before Tsunade had even had a chance to inspect the gloomy passage, a figure came into view. It swayed, and then began falling towards her.

Some instinct took over at that point and Tsunade's arms moved to support the collapsing person without even checking to see who it was. But Yamato's choked voice saved her from having to look.

"Kakashi-Senpai!"

With that, the group was set into a flurry of motion as they all rushed to gather around where Kakashi was still held in Tsunade's arms. She laid his unbearably motionless body onto the ground gently and was finally able to take a good look at him. Although, a part of her wished that she hadn't.

It was just as Genma had told her. The chakra receivers spanned the area from Kakashi's collarbone to his abdomen; each one creating a wound of its own. And the injury that Yamato had described as the result of intercepting a Rogue Ninja's blade was worse than even she'd imagined. These injuries alone could easily have killed him. But as far as she'd been aware, Kakashi had sacrificed himself to chakra exhaustion in order to save Genma's life and allow them passage into the valley.

Slowly the Hokage moved her shaking hand to the Jonin's neck and placed two fingers over his carotid artery. She waited. No one around her breathed. Then, finally, she felt something. It was the barest mockery of a pulse, but at least it was there.

Her heart filled with emotion even as she whispered the words that carried clearly to everyone's ears.

"He's alive."

With that simple statement, every person in the group seemed to temporarily forget that shinobi were meant to be nothing more than emotionless tools. Many of the ANBU sank to the ground as relief brought tears to their eyes. Genma and Asuma stared at each other, their mouths dropping open in joy and disbelief. And then, in a fit of spontaneous celebration, they fell into each other's arms. They stayed locked in a euphoric embrace for a good few moments before realising that the majority of the group had turned to stare at them. Then with movements quicker than the Hokage had ever observed from either of them, the friends broke apart. Asuma promptly busied himself with lighting a cigarette while Genma became absorbed in removing his senbon turning it to the other side and replacing it in his mouth.

It was Yamato who finally brought Tsunade's attention back to the matter at hand.

The ANBU's relief seemed to have already faded into anxiety. He knelt beside his Senpai's still form and asked quietly, "How is he?"

Tsunade glared at him. "How do you think he is?"

The Hokage sighed. She hadn't meant to answer the concerned ANBU so harshly, but considering that by all rights the Copy-Ninja should be dead, it'd been a fairly stupid question. And even though he was somehow alive, Tsunade was seriously worried about Kakashi's condition, and dreading the upcoming medical examination. But she had to be professional, and if there was to be any chance of saving the Copy-Ninja, she also had to start immediately. Sighing once more, she began to check his wounds while, around her, the rest of the group pulled themselves together and started preparing the needed medical equipment to keep the brat alive until they made it back to Konoha.

The Hokage's first area of focus was on these so-called chakra rods. She was sorely tempted to take them back to the village for a full analysis, but Genma had pointed out that they may have tracking properties and so the safest option was to destroy them on sight. Carefully she began to prise each one loose from where they were firmly embedded in the Copy-Ninja's sculpted chest. As she slid each rod out, Tsunade fed her chakra into the wounds they'd created, but only enough to staunch the flow of blood. She couldn't afford to use up too much chakra straight away. Especially as she hadn't even finished analysing what other of Kakashi's injuries required immediate medical attention.

The next obvious one was his abdominal wound. It was raw and inflamed and whatever medical ninjutsu Yamato had managed to administer had clearly not had a lasting effect. And if it had, then she would've hated to see what condition the wound might've been in otherwise. As always, Tsunade's default response to Kakashi's reckless self-sacrifice was anger. She'd been entrusted with the task of keeping the kid alive. Was this Sakumo's twisted idea of a joke? Asking her to stop a suicidal Brat from getting himself killed? Well by some miracle, she'd been given a second chance. And this time she was not going to fail.

Although Kakashi was still suffering from severe blood loss, Tsunade at least managed to stabilise the condition of his external injuries before deciding to probe deeper. As she did an in-depth scan of his Chakra Network, the Hokage was horrified to find that what little chakra Kakashi had left was steadily draining away. And his Keirakukei was making no attempt to rectify this.

There wasn't time to analyse the cause of the problem. Hell, there was barely even time to try and counter it. But the Hokage was determined to do what she could. And she was not renowned as the most proficient medical specialist in all the Five Lands for nothing.

With renewed confidence, Tsunade began using her chakra to try and stimulate the circulation of Kakashi's own. However, this task was made near impossible by the fact that his reserves were virtually all depleted. And the miniscule amount of chakra remaining had a strange quality to it that differed slightly from his normal supply. It had the usual feeling of strength and nobility, but also a coldness that made Tsunade wonder just what on Earth the brat had gone through in there. Well one thing was for sure, she'd never find out unless she managed to revive him. And so the Hokage redoubled her efforts to do so.

But really, they had to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. With each passing moment, Tsunade was becoming increasingly certain that Kakashi wouldn't last long without medical facilities appropriate to the severity of his injuries. This went beyond simple field medical ninjutsu – even at her level.

But before she could rouse the rest of the group, Yamato spoke coldly. "Lady Hokage, I think you'd better take a look at this."

Tsunade looked up, even as her heart fell. Standing less than a hundred metres away from them – in a clear battle formation – was a full squadron of Root Operatives. With Danzo positioned complacently at their head. Only one thought was able to penetrate the despairing fog that had settled over Tsunade's mind: once this was over, she was going to need a serious amount of saké!

* * *

With undisguised hatred, Yamato levelled a furious glare in Danzo's direction. But the Root Leader had his eyes fixed solely on the Fifth Hokage.

His deep, commanding voice echoed through the valley. "Stand aside Tsunade. You are to do no more to aid this traitorous turncoat."

The azure glow of the Hokage's medical ninjutsu did not falter even as she turned to lock eyes with the ruthless dictator.

He continued in a smug yet impatient tone, "It would be wise not to disobey me, Princess. I am the Hokage after all."

Yamato looked up at the true Hokage, his voice tight with restrained anger. "Please Lady Tsunade, with respect, I think that you should continue healing Kakashi. Let us handle these traitors."

The Hokage gave a slight nod. With that Yamato rose and walked to the front of the group, Asuma and Genma beside him. The ANBU formed ranks behind the three of them, ready for a battle. Then, at a signal from Danzo – who himself was now standing safely to one side – the members of Root drew their tanto. And as one the ANBU reciprocated, drawing their katana.

Silence reigned like the calm before a storm. Then suddenly, Yamato heard Tsunade gasp. He turned and straight away realised why. His Senpai had woken up! And not only had consciousness returned to Kakashi, but he was in the process of determinedly trying to rise. The Jonin pushed away from Tsunade's restraining hands and got to his feet.

It was impossible that Kakashi's strength could have restored itself so fast. And Yamato had a feeling that in fact his Senpai was simply ignoring his weakness. The Jonin made his way purposefully towards where the two groups were facing off. Both sides tensed as the Copy-Ninja went to stand between them – completely unarmed. And although he was somehow managing to hide it, Yamato knew that his Senpai was perilously close to total exhaustion.

There was no trace of it in his voice, although his words were coloured with deep sorrow and they struck Yamato like a physical blow. "Since when do Konoha Shinobi turn blades upon their own comrades?"

Yamato cringed at the disappointment in his Senpai's tone. That feeling of shame, of painful inadequacy that he'd felt when he'd first met the Copy-Ninja gripped Yamato's heart once more. He lowered his weapon, and slowly and uncertainly the group behind him followed suit. But Root kept theirs raised. Kakashi was willing to sacrifice himself for all of their sakes. How dare those emotionless bastards raise their weapons against him!

The shame in Yamato's heart quickly turned to anger. If Sai could break free of Danzo's tyrannical dogma then any of these Operatives could do the same. But they chose not to. And that was all Yamato needed to know to see that these heartless puppets of a sadistic madman were no comrades of his!

Then, Danzo's sharp tone as he addressed his soldiers cut through the palpable tension. "Your target is in front of you. Don't just stand there. Kill him!"

The Root Operatives readied themselves to advance, and the ANBU raised their weapons once more. This time preparing to defend their former Captain. But still Kakashi stood between them, unmoving. Then he turned and met Yamato's gaze directly. There was a coldness in that obsidian eye that Yamato had never seen before. Surely this couldn't be the first time that he had disappointed his Senpai. Could it? But even that became unimportant a moment later. Yamato watched in horror as that dark eye closed, and Kakashi sank to the ground – unconscious.

Injury and exhaustion had finally caught up with the Jonin and now he was utterly defenceless, with Root standing only a matter of metres away. Yamato would not let those traitors lay one finger on his Senpai! And on either side of him it was clear that Genma and Asuma had come to the same conclusion. After coming so close to losing him once already, none of them was willing to let Kakashi sacrifice his life for a second time. Even if it meant killing shinobi of their own village.

Step by step the two groups began to converge upon the Copy-Ninja's unconscious form. Yamato closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steel his heart against the prospect of doing something that would likely make his Senpai hate him forever.

Then suddenly a deafening voice cried out, "Stop this right now!"

In a puff of white smoke Lady Tsunade teleported in between them. The Hokage knelt by Kakashi's side and straight away checked his pulse. Then after a few agonising moments, Yamato saw her breathe a sigh of relief.

But even as she did so, Tsunade's fists clenched and her voice betrayed her fury. "This is madness! ANBU: stand down! We're moving out. We've got to get Kakashi to the Hospital – preferably while he's still breathing."

Never in his life had Yamato disobeyed Hokage's orders. But with Root blocking the way out of the valley, and showing no sign of lowering their weapons, he was not going anywhere. Yamato feared that even with Tsunade now protecting Kakashi, dropping his guard for so much as a moment might endanger his Senpai's life. And the ANBU around him were following his example, as were Asuma and Genma.

It seemed that Lady Tsunade quickly acknowledged their passive defiance as well as recognising the fact that, as long as Root stood in their way, none of them was leaving. But it was clear that Root would not move until Danzo signalled them to do so. That bastard even now was eying the Copy-Ninja's lifeless body with sick satisfaction. Tsunade then moved to stand firmly between Kakashi and Root's front rank. This time when she spoke, she was appealing directly to the silent, taciturn Operatives.

Yamato had never heard the Hokage's voice so full of furious desperation. "This man was willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of our village. To protect each and everyone of you. Without his selfless dedication to Konoha and its people, we would all have been dead a thousand times over. Now for Gods' sakes move aside!"

Perhaps it was because of the desperate note in Tsunade's voice, or the bare truth of her statement, or even simply the irrevocable nature of a Kage's order – Yamato could not be sure. But at that moment, Root – as a single entity – did something unheard of. They disobeyed their Leader.

Slowly, the formation of stoic Operatives began to part.

"Maintain your ranks," Danzo commanded, his grip on his cane tightening noticeably.

When Root paid no heed to their Leader, his voice rose.

"I will not repeat this again. Return to your formation immediately. These ANBU are traitors!"

"That's a bit rich," Genma sneered loud enough for Danzo to hear.

Still Root continued to part ranks. Danzo glared at his Operatives, then at the rightful Hokage. His eyes then went to Kakashi's still form, and finally to the ground.

To Yamato's right, Asuma was grinning triumphantly. And to his left, Genma's lips were curved into a satisfied smirk. In spite of everything that had happened, even in spite of his Senpai's injured state, Yamato couldn't help but smile. For the first time this entire mission, things were looking up.

* * *

Naruto had lost count of the days since he'd been brought to this unbearable place. He probably could've figured it out by guessing how many times a day he was brought food, and trying to remember how many meals he'd had. However many it was, it certainly wasn't enough. And seeing as math had never really been his strong suit, Naruto wasn't so sure how he'd proceed with the calculation.

It seemed like a waste of time, and certainly wouldn't make the hours pass any quicker, or silence his growling stomach. Sometimes he wished he was smart like Shikamaru or even Sakura and could work out what the hell was going on. But he wasn't. And so right now, Naruto had absolutely no idea how this Danzo guy had suddenly made himself Hokage. But one thing he did know was that he didn't trust that creepy old man.

He hadn't seen the freak in a while, but what that bastard had said the last time they'd met had filled Naruto with a hatred that still hadn't died down.

The young Jinchuriki had been getting more and more tempted to use the Kyuubi's help in breaking free. And the so-called Hokage had obviously sensed it. What must've been days ago now, just as he'd been leaving Naruto's cell, after standing there in silence simply watching him for an hour or so, he'd turned and asked, "Why do you think it is, Boy, that no one has tried to free you?"

Naruto had simply glared back at the bandaged idiot. But he hadn't been able to answer. Mainly because, to be honest, he'd wondered just that. And the only conclusions Naruto had come to were either they couldn't get to him or they'd also thought that keeping the Beast inside of him locked away was a good idea. But what about Sakura, Kakashi-Sensei, even Sai? They were his team, his comrades, the people who accepted him. Not to mention all of the other friends he'd managed to make along the way. Surely they'd never let this happen, unless everything he'd ever believed in had been a lie. Even as these thoughts had been passing through Naruto's head, Danzo had seemed to read his mind.

Saying in that infuriating blank tone of his, "It seems that the loudest ninja in the village is lost for words. Well, I'll tell you why. The one person in Konoha whose approval you most long for has deserted you. Your Sensei: Kakashi Hatake, has joined the Akatsuki. No one would dare defend you when the one most dedicated to your protection has joined the Organisation whose objective it is to exterminate you. And if you even think about letting that Demon inside of you take control, you'll only be proving them right."

After this, Danzo had walked out before Naruto'd had a chance to answer. But even now, the shock of this evil bastard's words had still not worn off. It couldn't be true! There was no way Kakashi-Sensei would ever do something like that. It went against everything he'd ever taught them, everything he'd made them believe in. Surely this slimy old fossil was lying. But if that was the case, then where was everyone? One thing that Naruto couldn't deny was that – for whatever reason – no one had come.

The Uzumaki felt even more alone than he'd done when he'd been a little kid. At least then he'd known for sure that he was hated by everyone. Not knowing whether the ones he loved had genuinely abandoned him, was probably worse than finding out that they had. Naruto's despair slowly began to turn to anger. If everyone hated him already, then what did he have to lose by letting the Beast escape? At least it might get him out of there.

Just as this option was starting to sound sickeningly tempting, a noise from above cut through the Kyuubi's enticing purr. It was the unmistakable sound of someone yelling.

Naruto's heart leapt. It was a voice that he'd recognise anywhere.

"What the hell have you done with him, you bastard?" it demanded.

That powerful, furious, yet somehow caring tone couldn't belong to anyone other than Granny Tsunade!

Naruto heard sounds of protest coming from the Root guards outside and then the unmistakable noise of bodies crashing into stone at high speed. Then the door to his cell burst off its hinges, flying across the room and shattering against the far wall. But Naruto barely even noticed. His gaze was fixed on the terrifying woman poised in the doorway. The ferocity in her eyes was tempered only slightly by a triumphant smile.

It softened into a smirk as she said, "Long time no see, Brat."

Naruto grinned, his heart pounding with relief. He was unable to form words fast enough to manage all of the questions and exclamations exploding in his head. But as the Genin noticed an anxious, sorrowful look enter Tsunade's eyes, all of the other questions fell away and he was left with only one.

"Where's Kakashi-Sensei?"


	16. Dawn

Chapter 16

Dawn

Somewhere in the Land of Fire, lies a village hidden in the leaves. It was the first of its kind. It has weathered many wars, survived heavy losses and seen new glory sprout from the ashes of despair. Some of the greatest heroes, and the greatest villains have all at one point called this village their home. This tradition began with its founding by two of the most powerful shinobi that this world has ever known. One would come to use that power for good, and the other for unspeakable evil. But within this hidden village at least, good has prevailed. There is a sense of joy, courage and above all, hope. And this is what they call the Will of Fire.

* * *

Pain surveyed the group of eight S-rank felons – his subordinates. They were now gathered in another of the Akatsuki's main hideouts. The Leader had deemed it safe to send Zetsu back to their previous location. He'd asked the plant-like shinobi to analyse any occurrences since their departure. And now, the carapaced, monochrome figure was about to deliver his report.

"Speak," Pain commanded simply.

Zetsu nodded. "Firstly," he began, "it is clear that Konoha has left, and that they have taken the Hatake's body with them."

Hidan chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't have minded seeing the look on the Hokage's face when she found her favourite pet Jonin dead."

"Well that is the oddity of the situation…" Zetsu continued in his deep, unsettling voice.

The Leader's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

The freakish shinobi seemed unfazed by Pain's stern glare. "Well," he answered steadily, "in order to reach the Copy-Ninja, Konoha would have had to break through the entrance's barrier; this would have left a sizable chakra imprint. However, it appears that the barrier was undone from the inside."

"What? No way! That's impossible!" came Tobi's impetuous cry.

Pain sighed. Clearly all was not as it seemed. His mind immediately went to the Akatsuki member who had been last to join them. Itachi. The Uchiha had shown up a full five minutes after the others with only the sodden, illegible remains of the poison's recipe to show for it. Although, the Leader had mainly blamed Kakuzu for being careless. And as a result they would never be able to implement the same scheme elsewhere. He almost felt that the Hatake had planned this even before he'd created that water jutsu. But going so far as to open the hideout's barrier was certainly an impossible feat for one purported to be dead.

"You were the last to arrive, Itachi. Do you know anything about this?" The Leader turned the glare of his Rinnegan on the Uchiha. His eyes could normally discern truth from falsehood. But somehow – perhaps due to being such a prolific genjutsu user himself – Itachi always managed to keep a part of his soul concealed from Pain's ocular infiltration.

His response was icy calm. "When I left, the barrier was in place and the Hatake was dead."

However hard he tried, Pain simply could not detect any fallacy in the Uchiha's statement. And so if Itachi had truly not done it, and he had been the last to leave, then it only left one other person. And that was Kakashi Hatake. He also happened to be the only person for whom coming back from the dead could actually seem like a feasible option. It wasn't as though they had carried out a full examination. They had fled before they'd had the chance. But the Leader of the Akatsuki did not like to be fooled. And if he did find out that the Copy-Ninja had tricked them, then one way or another, Kakashi would suffer for it and ultimately pay with his life.

Then Kisame, who up until this point had remained silent, decided to air his views. "Hasn't Konoha and its pathetic shinobi humiliated us enough? I think it's about time we showed them our true strength."

Although Pain was tempted to give his consent to the shark-like sadist's proposal, he knew that the time was not yet ripe. And so he kept his tone stern.

"No. Kakashi Hatake has proven that the Will of Fire is a force to be reckoned with. For now we'll wait. After all, we have other objectives to complete first."

Hidan sounded rather put out. "But we can still slaughter any Konoha shinobi we come across, right? I've been dying to use some of them in my Ritual."

Pain glared at the zealot. "Only if they engage you directly. But if they do, by all means leave none alive."

Hidan grinned, a homicidal glint shining in his bright purple eyes.

Pain continued. "On that note, Hidan, Kakuzu, you will now commence your search for the Two-Tailed Beast. Kisame, Itachi, I appoint you to the finding of the Four-Tailed Beast. I will not accept failure from anyone."

The Leader noticed Itachi narrow his eyes. After all, that last comment had primarily been aimed at the Uchiha. Although, Pain had in some ways also been addressing himself. For far too long he had let Konoha pollute the world with its war-mongering, hypocritical, pacifist prattlings. Acting all high and mighty and letting nations like Amegakure crumble. They would be taught a lesson that would make the Copy-Ninja's death seem a small price to pay.

* * *

Sai's brush moved effortlessly across the page, tracing out a masterpiece with a will of its own. But he wasn't looking at the painting unfolding in front of him. He was sitting on a bench outside Konoha Hospital, waiting for Sakura to give him the latest news on their Sensei's condition. After Lady Tsunade had thrown everyone out of the ward except for Sakura – whose help she clearly needed – Captain Yamato had explained to Sai exactly what had happened over the last few weeks.

The young Operative had felt a tightness in his chest, a light-headed sensation, and an unexpected warmth that'd seemed to come from the very depths of his being. If he had to put names to these feelings – based on what he'd read – he would have identified his current emotions as concern, disbelief, and for some reason pride. He did not want Kakashi-Sensei to die. He could not believe that even such a formidable shinobi had been prepared to face the entire Akatsuki alone. And the fact that Kakashi was willing to sacrifice everything for his comrades, without a second thought, filled the Root member with what could only be described as admiration. Perhaps he didn't fully understand the concept of bonds yet, but the thought of his Sensei caring so much for his friends and his village helped explain to Sai just how the Copy-Ninja had amassed such devotion and respect. It seemed that there were no lengths to which the Jonin would not go in order to save his friends. And for that reason, Sai sincerely hoped that he would never end up hurting anyone that Kakashi Hatake counted as a comrade.

Briefly he thought of the differences between his two masters. He didn't need to be an expert at analysing people to know that Kakashi and Danzo were cut from very different cloth. And when it came down to it, he knew where his true loyalties lay. He'd been somewhat surprised by Captain Yamato's account of Root betraying their Leader. All of the Operatives involved had clearly become disillusioned – or perhaps a better word was enlightened. And they'd since defected and joined the main branch of the ANBU. It was a loss for Danzo – doubly so now that the position of Hokage rested once again on Lady Tsunade's shoulders. But Lord Danzo had many more soldiers at his command, and Sai knew that the old man would never give up his search for power.

The Root member looked down at the painting in his lap, it made little sense to him, and certainly no titles came to mind. In the centre was the symbol of the Leaf, but the spiral in the middle of the design had been replaced by a Sharingan. The background was silver with flecks of white, black, and occasionally gold. It took a while for Sai to notice that it held the exact same texture as a wolf's fur. Something about the painting spoke to him, and Sai almost wished that he was able to find a fitting title for it. But a moment later when Sakura came running out of the building towards him, those thoughts were promptly pushed aside.

The young medic was crying. Normally this meant that she was sad, but she was smiling at the same time. This confused Sai.

"How is Kakashi-Sensei, Sakura-chan?" he asked before she'd reached him.

The pink-haired kunoichi didn't respond straight away. Instead she crossed over to where Sai was sitting and slumped down beside him. He thought that perhaps she'd not heard him, and repeated the question.

"How is Kakashi-Sensei?"

Sakura closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh before saying, "He's alive, somehow."

Sai looked at his team-mate and then smiled from his heart. "We should tell Naruto."

Sakura returned his smile, her eyes shining. "When Lady Tsunade chucked him out of the Hospital I sent him over to Kakashi-Sensei's apartment to pick up some clothes. Though it was really just to get him out of the way."

Sai nodded. "Naruto does tend to disrupt things."

"Hey!" came an outraged voice from somewhere behind them. "At least I'm doing something useful not just sitting there like an idiot!"

Sai looked up to see five Narutos staring down at him, they were supporting a large wardrobe between them.

"What the hell did you bring that thing for?" Sakura yelled.

Naruto's cheeks reddened and he answered defensively, "I didn't know how long he'd be staying, or what clothes he wanted. And I didn't want to bring Kakashi-Sensei the wrong stuff. So I thought I'd just take it all."

Sakura closed her eyes and put one hand to her forehead, while the other was clenched into a fist – Sai had observed Lady Tsunade strike this exact pose many times. And he felt that the kunoichi probably would have hit Naruto, had it not run the risk of breaking Kakashi-Sensei's furniture.

Sakura glared at the idiot as she emphasised each syllable. "Just… put… it… down!"

The blonde did as he was told. And Sakura continued in a slightly calmer tone.

"Lady Tsunade said that Kakashi-Sensei isn't allowed visitors for at least twenty-four hours, and only then if his condition is stable enough."

"So what actually happened?" asked Naruto as he joined them on the bench.

For a while, the question was left unanswered. But Sai eventually realised that, out of the three of them, he was probably the best informed. And so it would be up to him to recount to the others Kakashi's tale of what – by even the strictest definition – could only be called heroism.

* * *

Kakashi's first lucid sensation was one of profound confusion. He had no idea whether he was alive or dead, conscious or unconscious, safe or in danger. But as recent events began to unfold in his memory, the Jonin gradually deduced his whereabouts. And there were very few places in the world that the Copy-Ninja more dreaded waking up to. Why did it always have to be Konoha Hospital?

He opened his eyes and let them adjust to the light before analysing the scene around him. It was the usual: white walls, grey floor, tiled ceiling and one glowering Hokage.

"Yo." He greeted Tsunade with a smile.

She did not return it. "Why is it that the only thing you're ever early for is waking up when I don't want you to, Hatake?"

Kakashi's smile widened into a grin. "It must be the knowledge that you'll be there waiting for me, Hokage."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Well if that's the case then you can start showing up on time to Jonin Council meetings."

Kakashi chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far."

The Hokage sighed before moving to sit on the bed beside him. And all mirth instantly vanished from the Copy-Ninja's face as he saw Tsunade's anxious expression. He would never have let the Sannin admit it and she certainly wouldn't have wanted to, but Kakashi knew how much he meant to her. He was all she had left of Sakumo. And so if Kakashi died, he knew that Tsunade would lose much more than just one Jonin. And if living meant sparing her that pain, then being subjected to the torture of a stay at Konoha Hospital might just become a little more bearable.

He heard Tsunade inhale deeply and knew what would come next. Her tone held a mixture of admonition and despair. "You know you can't just throw your life away at every given opportunity."

Kakashi kept his response steady. "If it means protecting my comrades, I'll happily sacrifice myself any day. Because without those I care about, my life means nothing."

The Hokage's voice grew stern. "You are the most insufferable, reckless, obstinate Brat I've ever met! And those are just your good qualities."

Kakashi smiled to himself, knowing that Tsunade's rant was far from over.

Sure enough, she continued. "You know the next time you use up all your chakra and get yourself killed, no one's going to miraculously revive you."

Kakashi smirked. "You never know."

Even as the Sannin's growl of anger reached his ears, Kakashi noticed the sound lose focus. And then gradually, his vision began to fade. After all, the Copy-Ninja knew that his body was far from healed, and the longer he stayed conscious, the longer he'd have to sit through the Hokage's lecture. And so he allowed himself to lose consciousness peacefully, content to accept the fact that his mission had been a success. For once he could afford to relax.

* * *

The longest day of Tsunade's life was finally winding to a close. She'd spent all of last night and most of the morning making sure that Kakashi wasn't going to die before she'd even had a chance to properly rebuke him. And when that chance had finally come, the brat had decided to pass out before she'd even gotten started properly. Then she'd been summoned to the Daimyo's residence to be officially reinstated as Hokage – and fortunately Danzo had decided not to grace them all with his presence at the handover of power. And now she was finally heading back to the Hospital to double check that the brat hadn't somehow managed to get himself killed in her absence. She'd ordered the chief-medic to put a seal on his chakra as soon as he woke up again, and gather a three-man ANBU cell to stand guard outside his room. Of course, this last precaution was more to stop the Copy-Ninja from breaking out than an intruder breaking in.

But as soon as she set foot inside the Hospital, Tsunade knew that her safety measures had failed. One of the junior medics rushed up to her. His face was pale and his eyes were wide.

"Lady Hokage, we need you in Kakashi Hatake's room immediately!"

Fearing the worst, Tsunade raced after her frantic subordinate. And when she entered the room, the source of the medic's panic quickly became apparent. Kakashi had disappeared. And based on the distinct taint of chakra that clearly only she was able to detect, the Hokage straight away put the pieces together.

The sheer volume of her voice caused the young medic to cower in fear. "You didn't seal his chakra? What the hell were you thinking!"

The orderly stammered his response. "We… we were sure that he wouldn't have regained c-consciousness yet. And certainly wouldn't be in any condition to… to use chakra!"

Tsunade glared at him. "Well clearly you were wrong."

"Should we send a cell to try and retrieve him?" the young man suggested hopefully.

Tsunade sighed. "Don't bother. If that Brat was able to escape from under the noses of his ANBU guards, then I highly doubt anyone you send will be able to find him."

The medic's face reddened slightly. "I'm so sorry, but that isn't the end of the bad news."

"Oh really?" Tsunade had a feeling that she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear.

And clearly the young man didn't particularly like having to report it. "One of the ANBU guards has disappeared as well."

Tsunade responded to this new revelation through clenched teeth. "Can I assume that no one bothered to check the identities of the cell members?"

The medic cringed. "I can only apologise Hokage, we didn't realise it was so important."

"Why am I not surprised?" she muttered bitterly.

Then Tsunade turned her back on the medic and crossed over to the window before leaning her head despairingly against the cool glass. She waited for her flustered subordinate to show himself out and then gazed down at the streets below her. They were bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. The Will of Fire shone in the air, and somehow it caused all anger to drain out of her. In spite of all that had happened, Tsunade had never been prouder to be the Hokage of Konohagakure.

She thought of all the people who would never know just how hard the Copy-Ninja had fought for them. That kid was a handful, but in the end he was always worth it. With a small smile she whispered into the glass, "Good job, Brat."

The Hokage took one more look at her village before making her unhurried way from the room. She had a fair idea of just where she might find the Copy-Ninja, and a certain few other shinobi, including that ANBU guard who had so mysteriously disappeared along with him. She knew that asking the chief-medic to gather the cell had been a mistake. Why was it that when it came to Sakumo's brat she had to do everything herself if she wanted it done right?

Tsunade paced down the corridor, and as she passed the two remaining ANBU they each stood to attention – as if they hadn't been in on the whole operation! She didn't even bother to interrogate them. Instead she left the Hospital and headed towards Konoha's most secluded, unfrequented tavern. And Tsunade had a sneaking suspicion that hers wasn't the only custom it would receive tonight.

* * *

The room was dimly lit, the air was filled with smoke, and the barstools were virtually all empty. This was exactly how the group of four liked it. Asuma dragged contentedly on his cigarette and Genma alternated methodically between chewing a senbon and downing glasses of saké. Kakashi and Yamato arrived together to complete the gathering. The ANBU was noticeably taking most of the Jonin's weight. But seeing as the far from recovered Copy-Ninja had just used a teleportation jutsu, this was no surprise.

Genma ordered another round of drinks while the other two crossed steadily over to the bar.

The Tokubetsu Jonin smirked. "So you made it after all."

"Fortunately I had some help along the way," replied Kakashi, returning his friend's knowing smile.

Asuma's face, however, was serious. "I hope you've realised that I'm not paying."

"Sure. I know that," Kakashi answered, his every word dripping with sincerity.

Asuma narrowed his eyes. But even he knew that after a certain amount of saké no one was going to remember whose cash it was anyway.

They each received their glasses gratefully, deciding to worry about the tab later. Kakashi looked down at his saké and then around the room, making sure that they were the only customers. After his routine scan was complete, the Jonin raised one hand to the edge of his mask. He lowered it slowly, letting the fabric slide gradually down over his habitually concealed features. His friends looked up. They had all seen his face on more than a few occasions over the years, but some inexplicable compulsion caused them to stare each time. Genma noticed the subtle prominence of Kakashi's cheekbones. Asuma took in the rare sight of his small, perfectly straight nose. And Yamato felt himself blushing slightly as he observed the effortless smile form on his Senpai's gently curving lips. Clearly the man was well aware that he was being scrutinised. And as one, the Copy-Ninja's comrades all wondered – not for the first time – what the hell he ever wore that mask for.

Then, while those three were distracted, Kakashi sensed another presence somewhere behind them. He turned in time to see the Hokage framed in the doorway. The look on her face was a curious mixture of amusement and outright fury. Kakashi flashed her an irresistible grin and she couldn't help smirking in return. That was the one reason why Tsunade was glad Kakashi always wore a mask. There was something about his face that made it simply impossible to stay angry with him.

But this silent exchange lasted only a moment. The Hokage had confirmed her suspicions, but decided it would be best to let the friends finish their night out. Although that did not mean she had any intention of going easy on them tomorrow. No matter how hungover they claimed to be. For now though, she'd let them have a few hours of respite; after all, they'd earned it.

Tsunade and Kakashi shared one more meaningful smile before the Hokage turned and slowly began to walk away, leaving the four shinobi alone once more. And so the comrades laughed and joked and drank throughout the night. Until eventually morning came and the sun's first light began to filter in through the door of the grimy tavern. At this unspoken signal, they all refilled their cups and prepared to drink one final toast. Silently, different thoughts passed through each of those four heroes' minds. Asuma drank to the fact that the threat of the Akatsuki had been averted. Yamato drank to the fact that order had finally been restored to the village. Genma drank to the overall success of the mission. And as the Copy-Ninja watched his friends drain the last of their saké, a smile graced his flawless features. A few moments passed before he too raised his cup. Then slowly, and with deep sincerity, Kakashi drank to the fact that they'd all lived to see another dawn.

**~ End ~**


End file.
